LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. [ 
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,UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. J| 

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THE 

SOUL'S CONFLICT 

WITH 

ITSELF 
AND 

VICTORY OVER ITSELF BY FAITH. 



A TREATISE OF 

THE INWARD DISQUIETMENTS 

t * op 

wit H' jMMflHHVi 

Comfortable Remedies to establish them. 




BY RICHARD S1BBES, D. D. 

Sometime Preacher of Gray s-Inn, London. 



Return unto thy rest, 0 my soul; for the Lord hath dealt hounii 
fully with thee. P sa i m cxvir 7, 



THE TENTH EDITION, 



LONDON: J 
Printed by R. Edwards, crane Court, Fleet Street, 
FOR MAXWELL AND WILSON, SKINNER- STREET • 
WILLIAMS AND SMITH, STATIONERY-CO CJRT • ' 
T. HAMILTON, PATERNOSTER-ROW 5 ANB ' 
J, MILLER, CHANCERY-LAKE. 
1808. 



TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFUL 

Sir JOHN BANKS, Knight, 

THE KING'S MAJESTY'S ATTORNEY GENERAL; 

Sir EDWARD MOSELY, Knight, 

HIS MAJESTY'S ATTORNEY OF THE • DUTCH Y | 

Sir WILLIAM DENNY, Knight, 

ONE OF THE KING'S LEARNED COUNCIL J 

Sir DUDLY DIGGES, Knight, 

ONE OF THE MASTERS OF THE CHANCERY | 

AND THE REST OF THE WORSHIPFUL REA- 
DERS and Benchers, with the Ancient 
Barristers, Students, and all others 
belonging to the honourable soclett 
of Gray's-Inn : 

R. SXBBES 

Dedicated these Sermons preached amongst 
them, in testimony of his due observance^ 

AND DESIRE OF THEIR SPIRITUAL AND ETERNAL 
GOOD. 

A 2 



PREFACE. 



Christian Reader^ 

TFhERB are two sorts of people always in the visi- 
ble church 5 one whom Satan keeps under with false 
peace, whose life is nothing but a diversion to present 
contentments, and a running away from God and their 
own hearts, which they know speak nothing good unto 
them: these speak peace to themselves, but God 
speaks none. Such have nothing to do with this scrip- 
ture : the way for these men to enjoy comfort, is to 
be soundly troubled. True peace arises from knowing 
the worst first, and then our freedom from it. It is 
a miserable peace that ariseth from ignorance of evil. 
The angel troubled the waters, John v. 4. and then 
cured those who stept in. It is Christ's manner to 
trouble our souls first, and then to come with healing 
in his wings. 

But there is another sort of people, who being 
drawn out of Satan's kingdom, and within the cove- 
nant of grace, whom Satan labours to unsettle and dis- 
quiet : being the god of the world, he is vexed to see 
men in the world, walk above the world. Since he 
cannot hinder their estate, he will trouble their peace, 
damp their spirits, and cut asunder the sinews of all 
their endeavours. These should take themselves to 
task, as David doth here, and labour to maintain their 
portion, and the glorv of a Christian profession. For, 
whatsoever is in God, or comes from him, is for their 
comfort. He himself is the God of comfort ; his Spirit 
most known by that office Our blessed Saviour was so 
careful that his disciples should not be too much deject- 
ed, that he forgot his own bitter passion to comfort 
them, whom yet he knew would all forsake him ; 



PREFACE. 



Let not your hearts be troubled, saith he. And his own 
soul was troubled to death, that we might not be trou- 
bled : Whatsoever is written is written for this end. 
Every article of faith hath a special influence in comfort- 
ing a believing soul. , They are not only food, but cor- 
dials 5 yea, he put himself to his oath, that we might 
not only have consolation, but strong consolation. 
The sacraments seal unto us all the comforts we have 
by the death of Christ ; the exercises of religion, as 
prayer, hearing, reading, &c. is that our joy may be 
full. The communion of saints is chiefly ordained to 
comfort the feeble minded, and to strengthen the weak. 
God's government of his church tends to this also. 

Why doth the Lord sweeten our pilgrimage, and 
let us see so many comfortable days in the world, but 
that we should serve him with cheerful and good 
hearts? As for crosses, he doth but cast us down, to 
raise us up, and empty us, that he may fill us ; and 
melt us, that we may be vessels of glory : loving us as 
well in the furnace, as when we are out ; and stand- 
ing by us all the while. We are troubled, but not dis- 
tressed ; .perplexed, but not in despair ; persecuted, but 
not forsaken, 2 Cor. iv. 8. If we consider from what 
fatherly love afflictions come ; how they are not only 
moderated, but sweetened and sanctified in the issue 
to us, how can it but minister matter of comfort in the 
greatest discomforts ? How then can we let the reins 
of affection loose to sorrow, without being injurious to 
God and his providence, as if we would teach him how 
to govern his church ? . 

What unthankfulness is it to forget our consolation, 
and to look only upon matter of grievance ? to think- 
so much upon two or three crosses, as to forget an 
hundred blessings I to suck poison out of that from 
which we should extract honey : What folly is it U 
straiten and darken our own spirits, and indispose pur- 
selves for doing or taking good ? A limb out of joint 
can do nothing without deformity and pain ; dejection 
takes off the wheels of the soul. 

Of all others, Satan hath most advantage of discon- 
tented persons, as most agreeable to his disposition, 
being the most discontented creature under heaven 



PREFACE. 



he hammers all his dark plots into their brains. The 
discontentment of the Israelites in the wilderness, 
provoked the Lord to swear, that they should not enter 
into his rest, Psal. xcv. II- There is another spirtt 
in my servant Caleb, saith God. The spirit of the 
Lord's people is an encouraging spirit. Wisdom 
teaches them, if they feel any grievances, to conceal 
them from others that are weaker, lest they be dis- 
heartened. God threatens it as a curse to give a 
trembling heart 3 and sorrow of mind, Deut. xxviii. 65. 
whereas, on the contrary, joy is the oil of the souls 
it makes duties come off cheerfully and sweetly ^ from 
ourselves, graciously to others, and acceptably to 
God. A prince cannot endure it in his subjects, nor 
a father in his children, to be lowering at their pre- 
sence. Such usually have stolen waters to delight 
themselves in. 

How many are there that, upon the disgrace which 
follows religion, are frighted from it ? But what are 
the seeming discouragements, to the real encourage- 
ments religion brings with it ? which are such as the 
very angels themselves admire at. Religion,^ indeed, 
brings some crosses along with it ; but then it brings 
comforts above these crosses. What a dishonour is it 
to religion to conceive, that God will not maintain 
and honour his followers ? as if his service were not 
the best service. What a shame is it for an heir of 
heaven to be cast down for every petty loss and cross > 
to be afraid of a man whose breath is in his nostrils, in 
not standing to a good cause, when we are sure God 
will stand by us assisting and comforting us, whose 
presence is able to make the greatest comforts sweet ? 

My discourse tends not to take off from all grief 
and mourning ; Light for the righteous is sown in 
sorrow. Our state of absence from the Lord, and 
living here in a valley of tears, our daily infirmities, 
and our sympathy with others, require it : and where 
most grace is, there is most sensibieness, as in Christ* 
But we must distinguish between grief, and that sul- 
lenness and dejection of spirit, which is attended with 
a repining and taking off from duty. When Joshua 
was over much cast down at Israel's turning their 



1 / 



vm 



PREFACE. 



backs before their enemies, God reproves him ; Get 
thee up, Joshua; why liest thou upon thy face? 
Josh. vii. 10. 

Some would have men, after the committing of 
gross sins, to be presently comfortable, and believe 
without humbling themselves at all : indeed, when 
we are once in Christ, we ought aot to question our 
state in him y and if we do, it comes not from the 
Spirit : but yet a guilty conscience will be clamorous^ 
and full of objections 5 and God will not speak peace 
unto it till once it be humbled. The Lord will let his 
best children know what it is to be too bold with sin, 
as we see in David and Peter, who felt no peace till 
they had renewed their repentance. The way to 
rejoice with joy unspeakable and glorious, is to stir up 
sighs that cannot be uttered. And it is so far, that the 
knowledge of our state in grace should not humble us, 
that very ingenuity, considering God's love to us, out 
of the nature of the thing itself, works sorrow and 
shame in us to offend his holy Majesty. _ _ 

One main s^op that hinders Christians from rejoic- 
ing, is, that they give themselves too much liberty 
to^question their grounds of comfort, and interest in 
the promises. This is wonderfully comfortable, say 
they ; but what is it to me, the promise is not to me. 
This ariseth from want of giving all diligence to make 
their calling sure to themselves. In watchfulness and 
diligence we sooner meet with comfort than in idle 
complaining Our care therefore ought to be to get 
sound evidences of a good estate, and then likewise to 
keep our evidences clear: wherein we are not to 
hearken to our own fears and doubts, or the suggestion 
of our enemy, who studies to falsify our evidences; 
but to the word, and our own consciences, enlightened 
bv the Spirit I and then it is pride and petlishness to 
stand out against comfort to^ themselves. Christians 
should siudy to corroborate their title : we are never 
more in heaven, before we come thither, than when 
we can read our evidences. It makes us converse much 
with God ; it sweetens all conditions, and makes us 
willing to do and suffer any thing. It makes us have 
comfcmble and honourable thoughts of ourselves, m 



PREFACE. 



too good for the service of any base lust ; and bring? 
confidence in God both in life, and at death. 

But what if our condition be so dark, that we cannot 
read our evidence at all ? 

In this case, look up to God's infinite mercy in 
Christ, as we did at the first, when we found no good- 
ness in ourselves : and that is the way to recover 
whatever we think we have lost. By honouring God's 
mercy in Christ, we come to have the Spirit of Cbrist : 
therefore, when the waters of sanctification are trou- 
bled and muddy, let us run to the witness of blood, 
God seems to walk sometimes contrary to himself 5 
he seems to discourage, when secretly he doth encou- 
rage, as in the case of the woman of Canaan : but faith 
can find out these ways of God, and untie these knots, 
by looking to the free promise and merciful nature of 
God. Let sottish. and rebellious flesh murmur as much 
as it will who art thou ? and what is thy worth ? Yet 
a Christian knows whom he believes. Faith hath 
learned to set God against all. 

Again, we must go on to add grace to grace. A 
growing and fruitful Christian, is always a comfortable 
one : the oil of grace brings forth the oil of gladness. 
Christ is first King of Righteousness, and then a King of 
Peace, Heb. viL 2. The righteousness that he works 
by his Spirit brings a peace of sanctification ; whereby, 
though we are not freed from sin, yet we are enabled 
to combat with It, and to get the victory over it. 
Some degree of comfort follows every good action ; as 
heat accompanies fire, and as beams and influences 
issue from the sun : which is so true, that even the 
very heathens, upon the discharge of a good conscience, 
have comfort and peace answerable : this is prcemium 
ante prcemium ; a reward before our reward. 

Another thing which hinders the comfort of Chris- 
tians, is, that they forget what a gracious and merciful 
covenant thev live under, wherein the perfection that 
is required is to be found in Christ. Perfection in us* 
is sincerity : what is the end of faith, but to bring us 
to Christ? Now, imperfect faith, if sincere, knits to 
Christ, in whom our perfection lies. 

God's design, in the covenant of grace, is to exalt 
a 5 



X PREFACE. 

the riches of his mercy above all sin and un worthiness 
of man : and we yield him more glory of his mercy, 
by believing, than it would be to his justice to destroy 
us. If we were perfect in ourselves, we should not 
honour him so much, as when we labour to be found 
. in Christ, having his righteousness upon us. 

There is no one portion of scripture oftener used to 
revive and comfort drooping and disconsolate spirits, 
than this, IVhy art thou cast down, O my soul ; It is 
figurative, and full of rhetoric ; and all little enough 
to persuade the perplexed soul quietly to trust in God 3 
which, without this retiring into ourselves, and check- 
ing our hearts, will never be brought to pass. Chry- 
sostom, in one of his Homilies, brings in a man loaden 
with troubles, coming into the church, where, when 
he heard this passage read, he presently recovered 
himself and becomes another man. As David therefore 
did acquaint himself with this form of dealing with 
his soul 5 so let us demand a reason of ourselves, ivhy 
we are cast down ; which will at least check and put a 
stop to the distress, and make us fit to consider more 
solid grounds of true com tort. 

Of necessity the soul must be something calmed and 
staid before it can be comforted. Whilst the humours 
of the body rage, in a great distemper, there is nc 
giving of physic : so, when the soul gives way to pas- 
sion, it is unfit to entertain any counsel % and there- 
fore it must be stilled by degrees, that it may hear 
reason : and sometimes it is fitter to be moved by or- 
dinary reason, as being more familiar unto it, than 
with higher reasons brought from our supernatural 
condition in Christ, as from the condition of man's 
nature, subject to changes, from the uncomliness of 
yielding to passion, for that which is not in our power 
to mend, &c. These, and such like reasons, have 
some use to stay the fit for awhile, but they leave the 
core untouched, which is sin, the trouble of all trou- 
bles Yet, when such considerations are made spi- 
ritual by faith, on higher grounds, they have some 
operation upon the soul ; as the influence of the moon, 
having the stronger influence of the sun mingled with 
it, becomes more effectual upon these inferior bodies. 



PREFACE. 



A candle-light, being ready at hand A is sometimes as 
useful as the sun itself. 

But our main care should be to have evangelical 
grounds of comfort near us 5 as reconciliation with 
God, by which all things else are reconciled to us 5 
such as, adoption, communion with God, &c. which 
is never sweeter than under the cross. Phiiip, Land- 
grave of Hesse, being a long time prisoner under 
Charles the fifth, was demanded, what upheld him 
all that time ? who answered, 66 That he felt the 
divine comforts of the martyrs." There be divine 
comforts which are felt under the cross, and not at 
other times* 

Besides personal troubles, there are many much 
dejected with the present state of the church, seeing 
the blood of so many saints to be shed, and the ene- 
mies oft to prevail : but God hath stratagems, as 
Joshua at Ay ; he seems sometimes to retire that he 
may come upon his foes with the greater advantage. 
The end of all these troubles will, no doubt, be the 
ruin of the antichiistian faction \ and we shall see the 
church in her more perfect beauty, when the enemies 
shall be in that place which is fittest for them, the 
lowest , that is, the footstool of Christ. The church, 
as it is the highest in the favour of God ; so it shall be 
highest in itself : The mountain of eke Lord shall be 
exalted above all mountains. In the worst condition, 
the church hath two faces 5 one towards heaven and 
Christ, which is always constant and glorious : ano- 
ther toward the world, which is in appearance con- 
temptible and changeable. But the Lord will in the 
end give her beauty for ashes, and glory double to her 
shame ; and she shall in the issue prevail : in the mean 
time, the power of the enemies is in God's hand. 
The church of God conquers, when it is conquered : 
even as our glorious head Christ did, who overcame 
by patience, as well as by power. Christ's victory 
was upon the cross. The spirit of a Christian con- 
quers, when h\s person is conquered. 

When this is the case, the way is, instead of dis- 
couragement, to search all the promises made to the 
church, in these latter times, and to turn them into 



XT 



PREFACE. 



prayers ; and press God earnestly for the performance 
of therm Then we shall soon find the Lord both 
cursing his enemies, and blessing his people out of 
Zion, by the faithful prayers which ascend up from 
thence. . , 

In ail the promises we should have special recourse 
to God in tlteni In all storms there is sea-room, 
enough in the infinite goodness of God, for faith to be 
carried with full sail. 

Amd it must be remembered, that m all places 
where. God is mentioned, we are to understand God 
in the promised Messiah, typified out so many ways 
unto us. And to put the more vigour into such places 
in the reading of them, we. in this latter age ot the 
church, must think of God shining upon us m the 
fitee of Christ, and^ur Father in 1mm If they had so 
much confidence in so little light, it is a shame tor us 
• not to be confident in good things, when so strong a 
'fight shines round about us ; especially when _we pro- 
fess we believe, that a crown of righteousness is laid up 
for all those mho hue his appearing. Presenting these 
tmro-5 to the soul bv faith, setteth the soul in such a 
Dttch of resolution, that no discouragements are able to 
seize upon it. We faint not, saith St Paul : wherefore 
doth he not fain* I Because these light and short affile- 
Urns procure an exceeding weight of glory. 

Luther when he saw Melancthon, a godly ana 
learned man, too much dejected for the state of the 
church in those times, falls a chiding mm, as David 
doth here his own soul. " I strongly bate those 
■ miserable cares, saith lie, whereby thou writest ihou 
art even spent. It is not the greatness of the cause, 
. but the greatness of our incredulity. It the cause be 
false let us revoke it. if true, why do we make^Goct, 
in his rich promises, a liar ? Strive against thyself, tue 
greatest enemy ; why do we fear the conquered world, 
who have the Conqueror himself on our side ?" 

Now to speak something concerning the puhusn;. 
in* of (his Treatise I began to preach on the text 
about twelve years since in the city ; ana afterwards 
finished the same at Gray's-Inm Alter which, some 
having gotten imperfect notes, endeavoured to publisa 



FREFACEo 



Xllt 



them, without my consent. Therefore, to do myself 
justice, I thought fit to reduce them to this form. 
There is a pious and studious gentleman of GrayVInn, 
who hath of late published observations upon the 
whole psalm ; and another upon this very verse, to 
excellent purpose : and many others, by treatises of 
faith and such like, have furthered the spiritual peace 
of Christians very much. — It were to be wished, that we 
would all join to do that which the apostle gloried in, 
to be helpers of the joy rf God's people, 2 Cor i. 24. ^ 

'By reason of my absence, while the work was in 
printing, some sentences were mistaken. Some will 
be ready to deprave the labours of other men ; but, 
so good may be done, let such ill-disposed persons be 
what they are, and what they will be, unless God turn 
their hearts : and so, Christian Reader, I commend 
thee, and this poor Treatise, to the blessing of God a 

Gray's-Inn, R. SIBBES, 

July 1, 1035, 



( XV-) 



ON THE 

WORK OF MY LEARNED FRIEND 

DR. SIBBES. 



FOOL that I was ! to think my easy pen 

Had strength enough to glorify the fame 

Of this known author, this rare man of men : 

Or give the least advantage to his name. 

Who think by praise to make his name more bright 
Shew the sun's glory by dull candle-light. 

Blest saint! thy hallow'd pages do require 
No slight preferment from our slender lays : 
We stand amaz'd, at what we most admire 5 
Ah ! what are saints the better for our praise ? 
. He that commends this volume does no more 
Than warm the, fire, or gild the massy ore. 

Let me stand silent then. O, may that Spirit, 
Which led thy hand, direct mine eye, my breast 5 
That I may read, and do ; and so inherit ; 
(What thou enjoy'st, and taught) eternal rest ! 
Fool that I was ! to think my lines could give 
Life to that work, by which they hope to live. 



FRA. QUARLE&e 



{ xvi ) 



In Opus posthumum admodum reverendi, mihiqui 
tnultis norninibm colendi, Richardi Sibbes, 
S. T. Professoris, Aula sanctcz Cath. prafecli 
dignissimi. 



VADE, liber, pie dux animae, pie mentis Achates. 

Te relegens fructu ne pereunte legat. 
Quam fceiixprodis ! Prse sacro codice sordent, 

Bartole, sive tui \ sive, Galene, tui. 

Fidus praeco Dei, coelestis cultor agelli 
A«sidui praetium grande laboris habet : 

Quo mibi nec vita melior, nec promptior ore, 
Gratior aut vultu, nec fruor arte prior. 

Nil opus ut nardum caro combibat uncta Sabaeum^. 

Altave marmoreus sydera tangat apex : 
Non eget hie urna, non marmore : nempe volumes 

Stat sacrum, vivax marmor, & urna, pio. 

Qui Christo vivens incessit tramite cceli, 
.^Lthereumque obiit munus, obire nequit : 

Dueit hie Angelicis aequalia saecula lustris, 
Qui verbo studium contulit omne suum. 

Perleo-at hunc leg^um cultrix veneranda senectus, 
Et quos plena Deo mens super astra vehit : 

Venduntur (quanti !) circum palatia fumi ! 
Hie sacer altaris carbo minoris erit ? 

Heu! pietas ubi priscar profana 6 tempora ! mnndi 
Faex ! vesper ! prope nox ! 6 morae ! Christe venL 

Si valuere preces unquam, & custodia Christi, 
Nunc opus est precibus, nunc ope, Christe, tua. 



{ xvi i ) 



Certat in humanis vitiorum infamia rebus, 
Hei mini ! nualla novis sufficit herba malis ? 

Probra referre pudet $ nec enim decet : exprobret ilia 
Qui volet 5 est nostrum flere, silendo queri. 

Flere ? tonabotuas, pietas neglecta, querelas: 
Quid non schisma, tepor, fastus, & astus agunt } 

Addo — sed historicus Tacitus fait optimus. Immo 
Addam — Sphaerarum at musica muta placet, 



EDV. BENIOSiO. 



Cressingas Templariorum, 
Prid. CaL Feb e l6%b* 



i 



CONTENTS. 



Chap. m Pa?« 

1. General Observations upon the text. 3 

2. Of Discouragements from without, 7 

3. Of Discouragements from wit nin. 11 

4. Of casting down ourselves, and especially by 

sorrow. The Evils thereof, 22 

5. Remedies of casting down : to cite the Soul, 

and press it to give an account, 27 

6. Other Observations of the same Nature. 33 

7. The Difference between good Men and others, 

in Conflicts with Sin, 43 

8. Of unfitting Dejection; and when it is exces- 

sive : and what is the right Temper of the 
Soul herein. 47 
Q. Of the. Soul's Disquiets, God's Dealings, and 

Power to contain ourselves in Ordtr. 55 

10. Means not to be overcharged with Sorrow. 60 

11. Signs of Victory over ourselves, and of a sub- 

dued Spirit. 71 

12. Of original Righteousness, natural Corruption, 

Satan s joining with it, and our Duty there- 
upon, 77 

13. Of Imagination, Sin of it, and Remedies for it, 88 

14. Of Help by others. Of true Comforters, and 

their Graces. Method, III Success. I l l 

15. Of flying to God in Disquiets o/ Soul. Eight 

Observations out of the Text, 121 

16. Of Trust in God ; the Grounds of it, especially 

his Providence, 132 

17. Of Graces to be exercised in respect of divine 

Providence. 139 

18. Other Grounds of trusting in God; namely, 

the Promises. Twelve directions about the 



same, 



148 



xx CONTENTS, 

Chap. . j Pa ^ 

ig. Faith to be prized, and other things under- 
valued ; at least not to be trusted to as the 
chief. 15g 

20. Of the Method of trusting in God-, and the 

Trial of that Trust. 105 

21. Of quiedngthe Spirit in Troubles for Sin and 

Objections answered. 
22 Oj Sorrow for Sin, and Hatred of Sin ; when 

right and sufficient. Helps thereto. 183 

23. Other spiritual Causes of the Soul's Trouble 

discovered, and removed; and Objections 
answered. . . 

24. Oj outward Troubles disquieting the Spirit, 

and Comforts in them. *9 5 

25. Of the Defects of Gifts disquieting the Soul, 

As also the Afflictions of the Church, 201 

0.6 Of Divine Reasons in a Believer. Oj his wind- 
ing to praise God, more than to Jie delivered. 205 

27, In our worst condition we have Cause to praise 

God. Sail ample Cause in these Days. 210 

28 Divers Qualities of the Praise due to God. 
With Helps therein. And Notes of God s 
hearing our Prayers. _ 21 ? 

20. Of God's manifold Salvation for his People. 
' And why open, or expressed in the Counte- 
nance. . , _ ^® 

30. Of God, our God 3 andof particular application. 235 

31. Means of improving and evidencing to our 
Souls, that God is our God, # 244 

32. -Q/ improving our Evidences for Comfort in . 

several Passages of our Lives. 250 

33 Of Experience and Faith j and how to wait on 

God comfortably. Helps thereto. 260 

34 Of confirming this Trust in God > Seek it of 

God himself. Sins hinder not, nor Satan, 
Conclusion and Soliloquy. V® 



THE 



SOUL'S CONFLICT 



WITH 



ITSELF, &c. 



PSALM xliL 11. 



Why art thou cast down, 0 my soul? and why art 
thou disquieted within me ? Hope thou in God; J or 
1 shall yet praise him, who is the health of my 
countenance, and my God* 



JL HE Psalms are, as it were, the anatomy of a holy 
man, which lay the inside of a truly devout man out- 
ward to the view of others. If the Scriptures be 
compared to a body, the Psalms may well be the 
heart, they are so full of sweet affections and passions. 
For in other portions of Scripture, God speaks to us j 
but in the Psalms holy men speak to God and their 
own hearts, as in this Psalm 5 where we have the 
passionate passages of a broken and troubled spirit. 

At this time David was a banished man 3 banished 
from his own house, from his friends, and, which, 
troubled him most, from the house of God, upon 
occasion of Saul's persecution, who hunted him as a 
partridge upon the mountains. See how this works 
upon him. 

j . He lays open his desire springing from his love* 
Love being the prime and leading affection of the 
soul from whence grief springs, from being crossed in 
that we love. For the setting out of which his affec- 




THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 



tion to the full, he borroweth an expression from the 
hart; no hart, being chased by the hunters, panteth 
more after the waters, than my heart doth after thee, 
O God, ver. 1. Though he found God present with 
him in'exile, yet there is a sweeter presence of him in 
his ordinances', which now he wanted and took to 
heart : places and conditions are happy or miserable, 
' a S God vouchsafed his gracious presence more or 
less ; and therefore, When, O when, shall it he that I 
appear before God? 

2. Then after his strong desire, he lays out his griej, 
which he could not contain, but must needs give a 
vent to it in tears : and he had such a spring of grief 
in him, as fed his tears day and night, ver. 2. All the 
ease he found was to dissolve this cloud of grief into 
the shower of tears. . , _ 

But, why gives he thus way to his grief? Because, 
together with his exiling from God's house, he was 
upbraided by his enemies, with his religion : Where is 
now thy God? ver. 3. Grievances came not alone ; 
but, like Job's messengers, follow one another. 
These bitter taunts, together with the remembrance 
of his former happiness in communion with God in 
his house, made deep impressions m his soul, when 
he remembered how he went with the multitude into 
the house of 'God, ver. 4. and led a goodly tram with 
him- being willing, as a good magistrate, and master 
of a family, not to go to the house of God alone, nor 
-to heaven alone, but to carry as many as he could with 
him Oh' the remembrance of this made him pour 
forth, not his words or his tears only, but his very soul, 
former favours and happiness make the soul more 
sensible of all impressions to the contrary : hereupon, 
finding his soul over sensible he expostulates with 
himsetf, Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and 
why art thou disquieted within me ? &c. 

But though the remembrance of the former sweet- 
ness of God's presence did somewhat stay him, yet 
.£ grief would not so be stilled , and therefore it 
Others upon him again: one grief called upon ano- 
ther- Beep calleth unto deep, ver. 7. as one deep 
mve follows another without intermission, until his 



TH£ SOVL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 3 



soul was almost overwhelmed under these waters ; yet 
he recovers himself a little with looking up to God, 
who, he expected would with speed and authority 
send forth his loving kindness with command to raise 
him up and comfort him, and give matter of songs in 
the night, ver. 8. For all this his unruly grief will 
not be calmed, but renews assaults upon the return of 
the reproach of his enemies. Their words were as 
swords unto him, ver. 10. and his heart being made 
very tender and sensible of grief, these sharp swords 
enter too deep 5 and thereupon he hath recourse to his 
former remedy, as being the most tried, to chide his 
soul, and charge it to trust in God. 



VV E may from hence observe in general, first. 
That grief gathered to a head will not be quieted at the 
first. We see here passions intermingled with com- 
forts, and comforts with passions 3 and what bustling 
there is before David can get the victory over his own 
heart. You have short-spirited Christians, that if they 
be not comforted at the first, they think all labour with 
their hearts is in vain, and thereupon give way to their 
grief. But we see in David, as distemper arise th from 
distemper, so he gives check upon check, and charge 
upon charge to his soul, until at length he brought it 
to a quiet temper. In physic, if one dose will not 
carry away the vicious humour, we then add a second; 
if that will not do it, we take a third: so should we 
do with our souls j perhaps, one check, one charge 
will not do it, then fall upon the. soul again ; send it to 
God again, and never give over until our souls be pos- 
sessed of our stiuls again. 

Again, In the general observe in David's spirit, That 
a gracious and living soul is most sensible of the want 
of spiritual means. 



CHAP. I. 



General Observations on the Text. 




B 2 



d 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 



The reason is, because spiritual life hath answerable 
taste and hunger and thirst after spiritual helps. 

We see in nature, that those things press hardest 
upon it, that touch upon the necessities of nature, 
rather than those that touch upon delights 3 for these 
further only our comfortable being: but necessities 
uphold our being itself. We see how famine wrought 
upon the patriarchs to go into Egypt. 

Whence we may see what to judge of those who 
willingly excommunicate themselves from the assem- 
blies of God's people, where the Father, Son, and 
Holj» Ghost are present, where the prayers of holy 
men meet together in one, and, as it were, bind God, 
and pull down his blessing. No private devotion has 
that report of acceptance in heaven. 

A third general point is, That a godly soully reason 
of the life of grace, knc?rs when it is well with it, and 
when it is ill; when it is a good day with it, arid when 
a had. When the Lord shines in the use of means, 
then the soul is,, as it were, in heaven ; when God 
withdraws himself, then it is in darkness for atime. 
Where there is but only a principle of nature, without 
sanctifying grace, there men go plodding on, and keep 
their rounds, and are at the end what they were at the 
beginning, not troubled with changes, because there is 
mthlm Within to be troubled ; and therefore, dead 
meansf quickening means, or no means, all is one 
with them : an argument of a dead soul. 

We now come more particularly and directly to the 
words: Why ari thou cast down, 0 my soul? and 
why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in 
God; for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of 
my ccirntenance, and my god. The words imply, I. 
David's state and condition. And, 2. They express 
his carriage in that state. 

His state was such, that in regard of outward condi- 
tion, he was in a variety of troubles 3 and that in re- 
gard of inward disposition of spirit, he was first casf 
%wn, and then disquieted. 

Now, for his carriage of himself in this condition 
and disposition, he dealeth roundly with himself: 
David reasoneth the case with David 5 and first check- 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 



5 



eth himself for being too much cast doivn, and then 
for being too much, disquieted. 

He then jay eth a charge upon himself to trust in 
God. Wherein we have the duty which he charge! h 
upon himself, which is to trust in God: and then the 
grounds of the duty. First, from confidence of better 
times to come; which yieldeth him matter of praising 
God. And then by a representation of God unto him, 
as a saving God in all troubles j nay, as salvation 
itself 5 an open glorious Saviour hi the view of all: 
The salvation of my countenance. And all this en- 
forced from David's interest in God ; He is my God. 

Obser. 1 . From the state in which David was, we 
may hence observe, That since guilt and corruption has 
been derived by thefall } into the nature of man, it hath 
been subjected to misery and sorroiv, and that in all 
conditions; from the king who sitteth on the throne, to 
him. that grindeth in the mill. None ever have been 
either so good or so great, as could raise themselves so 
high as to be above the reach of troubles. 

- That choice part of mankind, the first fruits and ex- 
cellency of the rest, which we call the church, have 
not been exempted more than others, as appears by 
consideration both of the head, the body, and the 
members of the church — As for the head, Christ, he 
took our flesh, as it was subject to misery after the 
fall ; arid was, in regard of that which he endured, 
both in life and death, a man of sorrows.— -As for the 
body, the Church, it may say, from first to last, as it 
is Psalm 120, From my youth up they have afflicted 
me. The church has been, and is foil of sorrows: 
she began in blood, hath grown up in blood, and shall 
end in blood, as she was redeemed by blood. — As for 
the members of the church, they have been, and are 
full of crosses. -They are all predestinated to a con- 
formity to Christ their head 5 as in grace and glory, so, 
in abasement, Rom. viii. 29. Neither is it any wonder, 
for those who are born soldiers to meet with conflicts 5 
for travellers to meet with hard usage j. for seamen to 
meet with storms; for strangers in a foreign country, 
especially among their enemies, to meet with strange 
entertainment. 



S 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 



A Christian is a man of another world, and while 
here, he is from home, which he would forget (if he 
were not exercised here) and would take his passage 
for his country. But though all Christians agree and 
meet in this, that through many afflictions we must 
enter into heaven: yet, according to the diversity of 
place, parts, and grace, there is a different cup mea- 
sured to every one. 

And therefore, it is but a plea of the flesh, to except 
against the cross 5 Never was poor creature distressed 
as J dm : this is but self-love; for was it not the case 
both of head, body, and members, as we see here in 
David, a principal member, when he was brought to 
this case, thus to reason the matter with himself. Why 
art thou cast down, 0 my soul ? and why art thou dis- 
quieted within me? 

From the fame of David's spirit under these trou- 
bles, we may observe, that as the case is thus with 
all God's people, to be exercised with troubles, so 
They are sensible of them oftentimes, even to casting 
down and discouraging. And the reason is, they are 
flesh and blood, subject to the same passions, and made 
of the same mould, subject to the same impressions 
from- without, as other men 5 and their nature is up- 
held with the same supports and refreshing, as others 5 
the withdrawing and want of which affecteth them. 
And besides, those troubles they suffer in common 
with other men, by reason of their new advancement,, 
and their new disposition they have in and from Christ 
their head, they are more sensible in a peculiar man- 
ner of those troubles, than any way touch upon that 
blessed condition, from a new life they have in and 
from Christ, which will better appear, if we come 
more particularly to a discovery of the more special 
causes of this distemper ; some of which are, 1. With- 
out us. 2. Some within us. 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELfV % 



CHAP. II. 

Of Discouragements from without. 

o UTWARD causes of discouragement ariseth first 
from God himself, who sometimes withdraws the 
beams of his countenance from his children, where- 
upon the soul evea of the strongest Christian is dis- 
quieted : when, together with the cross, God himself 
seems to be an enemy unto them. The child of God, 
when he seeth that his troubles. are mixed with God's 
displeasure, and perhaps his conscience tells him, that 
God hath a just quarrel against him, because he hath 
not renewed his peace with his God, then this anger 
of God puts a sting, into all other troubles, and adds to 
the disquiet. There were some ingredients of this 
divine temptation, as we call it, in holy David at this 
time : though most properly a divine temptation be, 
when God appears to us as an enemy, without any- 
special guilt of any particular sin, as in the case of Job, 

It is no wonder if Christians be from hence dis- 
quieted, when as the Son of God himself having al- 
ways before enjoyed the sweet communion with his 
Father, and now feeling an estrangement, that he 
might be a curse for us, complained in all his torments,, 
of nothing else, but My God, my God, why hast thou 
forsaken me ! Matt, xxvii. 46. It is with the godly in 
this case, as with vapours drawn up by the sun, which, 
when the extracting force of the sun leaves them, fall 
down again to the earth from whence they are drawn. 
So when the soul, raised up and upheld by the beams 
of his countenance, is left of God, it presently begins 
to sink. We seem, when the body of the sun is part- 
ly bid from us (for totally it cannot in an eclipse by 
the body of the moon) that there is a drooping in the 
whole frame of nature : so it is in the soul, when, 
there is any thing that comes between God's gracious 
countenance and it. 

Besides, if we look down to inferior causes, the soul 
is often cast down by Satan^ who is always for casting 



S THE SOUL ? S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 

down and disquieting. For, being a cursed spirit, 
thrown down himself from heaven, where he is never 
to come again, he is hereupon full of disquiet, carry- 
ing a hell about himself, whereupon all that he labours 
for, is to cast down and disquiet others, that they may 
be, as much as he can procure, in the same cursed con- 
dition with himself. Ke was not ashamed to set upon 
Christ himself with his temptation of casting down, 
and thinks Christ's members never low enough, till 
he can bring them as low as himself. 

The devil envies our happiness'fmst and last : by his 
envy and subtilty we were driven out of paradise at 
first 5 and now he envies us the paradise of a good 
conscience : for that is our paradise till we come to 
heaven ; into which no serpent shall ever creep to 
tempt us. When Satan seeth a man strongly and 
comfortably walk with God, he cannot endure that a 
creature of meaner rank by creation than himself, 
should enjoy such happiness. Herein, like some 
peevish men, who are his instruments, men too con- 
tentious, and bred up therein, as a Salamander in the 
lire, who, when they know the cause to be naught, 
and their adversaries to have a better title 5 yet, out of 
malice, they will follow them with suits and vexations, 
though they be not fit to disable their opposites title ; 
if their malice have not a vent in hurting some way, 
they will burst for anger. - 

It is just so with the devil, when he seeth men will 
go to heaven, and that they have a good title to it, then 
he follows them with all dejected and uncomfortable 
tentations that he can 5 it is his continual trade and 
course to seek his rest in our disquiet 3 he is by beaten 
practice and profession, a tempter in this kind. 

As;ain, thirdly, what Satan cannot do himself, by 
immediate suggestions, that he labours to work by his 
instruments, who are all for casting down those who 
stand in their light, as those in the psalm, who cry out, 
Down with him, down with him, even to the ground; 
a character and stamp of which men's dispositions, we 
have in the verse before this text : Mine enemies re- 
proach me, saith David. As sweet and compassionate 
a man as he was, to pray and put on sackcloth for 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF! 



them, Ps. xxxv. 13. yet he had enemies, and such " 
enemies, as did not suffer their malice only to boil and 
concoct in their own breasts, but out of the abundance 
of their hearts, they reproached him in words. There 
is nothing the nature of man is more impatient of, than 
of reproaches : for there is no man so mean, but 
thinks himself worthy of some regard; and a reproach- 
ful' scorn, shews an utter disrespect, which issues 
from the very superfluity of malice. 

'Neither went they behind his back in reproaching 
him, but were so 'impudent as to say it to his face. 
A malicious heart and slandering tongue go together y 
and though shame might have suppressed the uttering 
of such words, yet their insolent carriage spake as 
much in David's heart, Ps. xxxix. 1. We may see by 
the language of men's carriage what their heart saith, 
and what their tongue would vent, if they dared. 

But this was not all : for this their malice was un* 
wearied; they said so daily unto him, as if it had been 
fed with a continual spring. Malice is an insatiable 
monster, it will minister words, as rage ministers 
weapons. But what was that they said so reproach- 
fully, and said daily ? We have it verse third $ Where 
is now thy God? They upbraid him with his singu- 
larity ; they say not now, where is God? but, where 
is thy God, that thou dost boast so much of, as if 
thou hadst some special interest in him ? Where we 
see, that the scope of the devil and wicked men is to 
shake the faith and confidence of the godly in their 
God. As Satan laboured to divide betwixt Christ and 
his Father; If thou beest the Son of God, command 
that these stones be made bread, Matt. iv. 3. so he la- 
bours to divide betwixt Father, and Son, and us: they 
labour to bring God in jealously with David, as if God 
had neglected him, bearing himself so much upon 
God, They had some colour of this ; for the Lord,, 
at this time,' had veiled himself from David, as he 
does often from his best children, for the better dis- 
covery of the malice of wicked men. And doth not 
Satan tip the tongues of the enemies of religion at this 
time, to insult over the church now lying a bleeding,* 

* This was preached in the beginning of the troubles of the 
church. B 5 



10 THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF, 



What becomes of their reformation, of their gospel? 
Nay rather, what is become of your eyes, we may say 
unto them ? For God is nearest his children, when he 
seems farthest off. In the mount of the Lord it shall 
he seen, Gen. xxii. 14. The Lord is with them, and 
in them, though the wicked be not aware of it it is 
all one, as it one should say betwixt the space of the 
new and old moon, Where is now the moon ? when 
it is never nearer the sun than at that time. 

Quest. Where is now thy God ? 

Jnsw. In heaven, in earth, in me j every where^ 
but in the heart of those who ask such questions 5 
and yet there they shall find him in his time, filling 
their consciences with his wrath: and then, where is 
their God ? Where are their great friends, their riches, 
their honours, which they set up as a god ? What can 
they avail them now ? 

But how was David affected by these reproaches ? 
Their words were as swords 3 As a sword in my hones, 
■mine enemies reproach me, ver. 30. They spake dag- 
gers to him 5 they cut him in the quick when they 
touched him in his God, as if he had neglected his 
servants, when as the devil himself regards those who 
serve his turn. Touch a true godly man in his religi- 
on, and you touch his life, and his best freehold : he 
lives more in his God than in himself. So that we may 
see here, there is a murder of the tongue ; a wound- 
ing tongue, as well as a healing tongue. Men think 
themselves freed from murder, if they kill none, or if 
they shed no blood 5 whereas they cut others to the 
heart with bitter words. It is good to extend the com- 
mandment to awaken the conscience the more, and^ 
breed humility, when men see there is a murdering of 
the tongue. V\ r e see David therefore upon this re- 
proach, 0 to be presently so moved, as to fall out with 
himself for it. : Why art thou so cast down and dis- 
quieted, O my soul? Tins bitter taunt ran so much in 
his mind, that he expresseth it twice in this psalm. 
He was sensible that they struck at God through his 
sides : what they spake in scorn, and lightly, he took 
very heavily. And, indeed, when religion suffers, if 
there be any heavenly fire in the heart, it will rather 



THE SOUL*S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. H 

break out, than not discover itself at all. "We see by 
daily experience, that there is a special force in words 
uttered from a subtle head, a false heart, and a smooth 
tongue, to weaken the hearts of professors, by bringing 
an evil report upon the strict profession of religion : 
as the cunning and false spies did upon the good land^ 
Judg. i. 24. as if it were not only in vain, but even dan- 
gerous to appear for Christ in evil times. If the ex- 
ample of such as have faint spirits will discourage an 
army, as we see in Gideon's history, Judges 7th, then 
what will speech, enforced both by example, and with 
some shew of reason, do ? 

But, fourthly, to let other causes pass, we need not 
go further than ourselves, in order to find out causes 
of discouragement there is a seminary of them within 
us. Our flesh, an enemy so much the worse, by so 
much the nearer, will be ready to upbraid us from 
within 5 Where is now thy God ? Why shouldest 
thou stand out in a profession that finds no better en- 
tertainment ? - 



CHAP. JII. 

Of Discouragements from within, 

w E shall now proceed to some particular causes of 
discouragements from within us. 

There is cause often in -the body of those in whom 
a melancholy temper prevaileth - 3 darkness makes men 
fearful: melancholy persons are in perpetual dark- 
ness j all things seem black and dark unto them y 
their spirits are, as it were, died black. Now, to him, 
that is in darkness, all things seem black and dark : 
the sweetest comforts are not lightsome enough unto- 
those that are deep in melancholy. It is (without 
great watchfulness} Satan's bath ; which he abuseth as 
his own weapon to hurt the soul, which, by reason of 
its sympathy with the body,, is subject to be misled. 
As we see where there is a suffusion of the eye, by 
reason of the distemper of humours, or where things 



12 THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 



seem to be of the same colour : so, whatsoever is 
presented to a melancholy person, comes in a dark 
way to the soul. From whence it is that their fancy 
being corrupted, they judge amiss even of outward 
things 5 as that they are sick of such and such a dis- 
ease, or subject to such and such a danger, when it is 
not so j how fit are they then to judge of things^ re- 
moved from sense, as of their spiritual state in Christ ? 

But, secondly, to come to causes more near the soul 
Itself, as when there is a want of that which should be 
in it 5 as knowledge in the' understanding, &c. Igno- 
rance, being darkness, is full of false fears. In the 
night time men think every bush a thief. Our fore- 
fathers, in time of ignorance, were frighted with every 
thing; therefore it is the policy of popish tyrants, 
taught them from the prince of darkness, to keep the 
people in darkness, that so they might make them 
fearful, and then abuse that fearfulness to superstition, 
that they might the better rule in their consciences for 
their own ends; and that so having entangled them 
with false fears, they might teal them again with false 
cures. Again, 

2. Forgetfulness causeth discouragement. Though 
the soul be not ignorant, yet if it be forgetful and un- 
mindful it occasioneth disquietude : if, as the Apostle 
saith, Heb. xii. 5. You have forgot the exhortation that 
speaks unto you, as unto children, then ariseth discou- 
ragement. When we have no more present actual 
comfort, then we have remembrance. Help a godly 
man's memory, and you help his comfort ; like unto 
charcoal, which, having once been kindled, is the 
more easy to take fire. He that hath formerly known 
things, readily soon becomes acquainted with them 
again, as old friends ; things are not strange to him. 
°3. We may observe further, that the not duly priz- 
ing, and setting a proper estimate upon comforts 5 as 
the Israelites were taxed for setting nothing by the 
pleasant land. It is a great fault, when, as they said 
to Job, chap. xv. 11. the consolations of the Almighty 
seem small unto us, unless we have some outward com- 
fort which we linger after. 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 13 



4. We may add unto this,, a childish hind of peevish- 
ness. Many, when they have not what they would 
be at, like children, throw away all that they have 5 
which ; though it be very offensive to God's Spirit, 
yet it seizeth often upon men, otherwise gracious. 
Abraham himself, wanting children, undervalued! all 
other .blessings, Gen. xvi. Jonas, because he was 
crossed in his gourd, was weary of his life. The like 
may be said of Elias, flying from Jezebel. This peev- 
ishness is increased by a too much flattering of 'their 
grief, so far as to justify it; like Jonas, I do well to 
he angry, even unto death, chap. iv. 9. he would stand 
to it. Some, like Rachel, are so peremptory, that 
they will not he comforted, Jer. xxxi. 15. they act as if 
-they were in love with their grievances. Wilful men 
are most vexed in their crosses: it is not for those to 
be wilful who have not a great measure of wisdom to 
guide their wills 5 for God delights to have his will of 
those who are wedded to their own will 3 as in Pha- 
raoh. No men more subject to discontentments, than 
those who would have all things after their own way. 
Again, 

5. One main ground is, Jalse reasoning, and error 
in our discourse, as that we have no grace when we 
feel none : feeling is not always a fit rule to judge 
our states by, that God hath rejected us, because we 
are crossed in outward things, whereas this issues from 
God's wisdom and love. How many imagine their 
failings to be fallings ; their infirmities to be presump- 
tions; every sin against conscience, to be the sin against 
the Holy Ghost ? Unto all which misapprehensions, 
weak and dark spirits are subject. And Satan adapts 
himself according to the humour of his patients: he, 
like a cunning rhetorician, here enlargeth the fancy,, 
to apprehend things bigger than they are. And he 
abuseth confident spirits another contrary way, viz. 
to apprehend great sins as little ones, and little sins 
as none. Some also think that they have no grace, 
because they have not so much as grown Christians; 
whereas there are several ages in Christ. Some again 
are so desirous and enlarged, after what they have 
not, that they mind not what they have. Men may 



l4 THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF; 

be rich, though they have not millions, and be not 

"T Some are mnch troubled, because they proceed 
bv a fcTe method and order in judging of then estates 
&vwiU begin 4*h election, which is the highest 
, he ladder- whereas they should begin from 

S P I if .race ™.d n t within their hearts; from 
a rT" ralW them by his Spirit, and their answer 
£°hi ca 1 and so rale themselves upwards to them 
elec o by' their answer to God's calling. Give all 
election Dy u tojnake your calling and 

diligence, saith , St. Fete y 

ana so 10 bcu otherwise it is as great folly r 

ginnmgwhae he end, . Om er ^ ^ ^ 

LSt fit a?d so, besides the needless trouble to 
t iu dai 'e'r to have the rest fall upon our heads. 

2ES£" en! of their *£k before they 

bc St mat of God's eternal love to us in 

G S f h dde n his breast; and doth not appear 
CtHist, is niou fhe Lord> b hls . 

tons, until, m J^ ^ e ° me ml0 us . the Spirit let- 
d.scove,eth be^meu ^ ^^CftW 

~-^^^i^^Sst 

ties ^ ;^tod st^ before ■ and thus far they 
springing ftom a good condit ; OIlj that though 

help us, » J u g ,n | ste ° c £ yet a , streams they lead. 

rising 6 held of gmce from whence they 

arise, ant- tn deceive us, as 

And rtfVims, some are more apt aeceivc u 3 
Ana or si^iib, rf^/icr^ joy in fean«g me 

being not so certain 5 as aeugm amij y e 
S as apoeareth in ^£ Sffi 
Some are more cons an ni^ , a. 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 



15 



Spirit, so the same Spirit giveth evidence to the soul 
of the truth of them, and leads us to faith from 
whence they come ; and faith leads us to the disco- 
very of God's love made known to us in hearing the 
word opened. The same Spirit openeth the truth to 
us, and our understandings to conceive of it, and our 
hearts to close with it by faith, not only as a truth, but 
as a truth belonging to us. 

Now, this faith is manifested, either by itself re- 
flecting upon itself the light of faith, discovering both 
itself and other things ; either by the cause of it, by 
the effect, or by all. Faith is often more known in the 
fruit ©f it, than in itself; as in plants, the fruits are 
more apparent than the sap and root. But the most 
settled knowledge is from the cause ; as when I know 
I believe, because in hearing God's gracious promises 
opened and offered unto me, the Spirit of God carries 
my soul to cleave to them as mine own portion, Eph. 
i. 13. Yet the most familiar way of knowledge of our 
estates, is from the effects to gather the cause ; the 
cause being oftentimes more remote and spiritual^ 
the effects more obvious and visible. All the vigour 
and beauty which we see in nature, comes from a 
secret influence from the heavens which we see not. 
In a clear morning we may see the beams of the sun 
shining upon the tops of hills and houses, before we 
can_see the sun itself. 

Things, in the working of them, do issue from the 
cause, by whose force they had their being 3 but our 
-knowing of things ariseth from the effect, where the 
cause endeth : we know God must love us before we 
can love him; and yet we often first know that we 
love him, l John* iv. 19. The love of God is the 
cause why we love our brother ; 'and yet we know we 
love our brother whom we see, more clearly, than God 
tv horn we do not see, 1 John,, iv. 20. 

It is a spiritual peevishness that keeps men in a 
perplexed condition, that they neglect these helps to 
judge of their estates by ; whereas God takes liberty 
to help us sometimes to a discovery of our estate by 
the effects, sometimes by the cause, &c. And it is 
a sin to set light by any work of the Spirit, and the 



10 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 



comfort we might have by it; and therefore we may 
well add this as one cause of disquietness m many, 
that they erkue the Spirit, by quarrelling among 
themselves, and the work of the Spirit in them. 

7 toother cause of disquiet is, that men, by a 
natttal kind of popery, seek for their comfort too much 
in sanctification, neglecting justification , reljmg too 
much upon their own performances. The apostle 
Paul was of aimther mind, accounting ail tilings but 
* dross and duns, compared to the righteousness^ oj 
Chk", Phil, ife Si 9- This is that garment wherewith, 
bein* decked, we please our husband, and wherein we 
2 the blessing. This giveth satisfaction to the con- 
science, as satisfying God himself, bemg performed 
by God the Son, and approved therefore by God the 
Father- hereupon the soul fe quieted ; and faith hoid- 
eth out" this as a shield against the displeasure ot God, 
and the temotations of Satan. Why cue: the apostles, 
iu their prefaces, join grace and peace together, but 
that we should seek for our peace m the fr ee grace and 
favour of God in Christ ? _ _ 

No wonder why Papists maintain doubting, who 
hold salvation by works ; because Satan, joining to- 
gether with cur consciences, will always fine some 
flaw even in our best performances : upon wmcn the 
doubting and misgiving soul comes to make this i ab- 
surd demand, as, Who shall ascend to nehven ? Psalm 
xxfe 3 which is all one as to fetch Christ from hea- 
ven ' and so bring him down to Suffer on the cross 
a-ain Whereas, if we believe in Christ, we are as 
sure to come to heaven as Christ is there : Christ as- 
• cendiro- - c d descending, with sU that he has done, is 
our= • -so that neither height nor depth can separate us 
from God's love in (Skrist, Rom. Vim. 39- : 

But we must remember, that though the main 
P 1H- of our comfort be in the free forgiveness of our 
sins'- yet, to maintain true comfort, we must grow 
ia holiness ; for if there be a neglect in this the soul 
will never be soundly quiet, because it will be prone 
to question the truth of justification : and it is as 
ptopef for sin to raise doubts and fears in the cousci- 



THE SOUl/s CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 



1? 



ence, as for rotten flesh and wood to breed worms, 
And therefore, 

8. We may well join the neglect of keeping a clear 
conscience as a cause of disquietness : the want hereof 
often raiseth tumults in the soul. Sin, like Achat), 
or Jonas in the ship, is that which caused) storms 
within and without. Where there is not a pare con- 
science, there is not a pacified one : and therefore, 
though some thinking to salve themselves whole in 
justification, neglect the cleansing of their natures, 
and ordering of their lives yet,* in time of temptation, 
they will find it more troublesome than they imagine. 
For a conscience guilty of many neglects, and of 
allowing itself in any sin, to lay claim to God's 
mercy, is to do as we see mountebanks sometimes do, 
who wound their flesh to try conclusions upon their 
own bodies, how sovereign their salve is j yet often 
times they come to feel the smart of their presump- 
tion, by long and desperate wounds: so, the Lord 
will let us see what it is to make wounds to try the 
preciousness of his ; such may go mourning to their 
graves. And though, perhaps, with much wrestling 
with God, they may get assurance of the pardon of 
their sins, yet their conscience will be still trembling, 
like David's, (though Nathan pronounced unto him 
the forgiveness of his sin) till God at length speaks 
farther peace 5 even as the water of the sea, after a 
storm, is not presently still, but moves and trembles 
a good while after the storm is over. A Christian is a 
new creature, and walketh by rule, and so far as he 
walketh according to this rule peace is upon him, Gal. 
vi. 16. Loose walkers that regard not their way must 
think to meet with sorrows instead of peace. Watch- 
fulness is the preserver of peace. It is a deep spiritual 
judgment to find peace in an evil way. 

9. Some, again, reap the fruit of their ignorance of 
Christian liberty, by unnecessary scruples and doubts. 
It is both unthankfulness to God, and wrong to our- 
selves to be ignorant of the extent of Christan liberty : 
it rmkes melody to Satan, to see Christians troubled 
- with what they neither should, nor need. Yet there 
is danger of stretching Christian liberty beyond the 



18 THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 

bounds. For a man may condemn himself in that he 
approves, as in not walking circumspectly in regard to 
circumstances, and so breed his own disquiet, and 
give scandal to others. 

10. Sometimes also, God suffers men to be dis- 
quieted for want of employment who, in shunning 
labour, procure trouble to themselves 5 and, by not 
doing that which is needful, they are troubled with 
that which is unnecessary. An unemployed life is a 
burden to itself. God is a pure act, always working, 
always doing : and the nearer our soul comes to God, 
the more it is in action, and the freer from disquiet. 
Men experimentally feel that comfort in doing that 
which belongs unto them, which before they longed, 
for, and went without : a heart' not exercised 
in some honest labour, works trouble out of itself, 
Again, 

U . The omission af duties and offices of love, ..often 
troubles the peace of good people: for, even in the 
time of death, when they look for peace, and desire 
it most, then looking back upon their former failings, 
and seeing opportunity of doing good wanting to their 
desire; the parties, perhaps, being deceased to whom 
they owed more respect) are hereupon much disqui- 
eted, and so much the more, because they see now 
hope of the like advantages cut off. 

The Christian life is full of duties 5 and the peace 
of it is not maintained without much fruitfulness and 
looking about us. Debt is a disquieting thing to an 
honest mind 5 and duty is debt. On which account 
the apostle iayeth the charge, that we should owe no- 
thing to any man, hut love, Rom. xiii. 8. Again, 

12. One special cause of too much disquiet, is, a 
want of firm resolution in good things, The soul can- 
not but be disquieted, when it knows not what to 
cleave unto ; like a ship tossed with contrary winds. 
Halting is a deformed and troublesome gesture ; so, 
halting in religion, is not only troublesome to others, 
and odious, but also disquiets ourselves. If the Lord 
he God, cleave unto him, 1 Kings, xviii. 51. If the 
duties of religion be such as will bring peace of con- 
science at length, be religious to purpose, practise 



THE SOUL*S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 



19 



them in the particular passages of iife. We should 
labour to have a clear judgment $ and from thence a 
resolved purpose : a wavering- minded man is incon- 
stant in all his ways, James i. 6. God will not speak 
peace to a staggering spirit that hath always its religion 
and its way to chuse. Uncertain men are always un- 
quiet men : and giving too much way to passion 
maketh men in particular consultations- unsettled. 
This is the reason why, in particular cases, when the 
matter concerns ourselves, we cannot judge so clearly 
as in general truths, because Satan raiseth a mist be- 
tween us and the matter in question. 

Besides the above privative causes of discourage- 
ment in ourselves, there are also some positive causes 
thereof. Such as, 

1. When men lay up their comfort too much in out- 
ward things, which being subject to too much incon- 
stancy and change, breed disquiet. Vexation always 
follows vanity, when vanity is not apprehended to be 
where it is. In that measure we are cast down in the 
disappointing of cur hopes, as we were too much 
lifted up in expectation of good from them. Whence 
proceed these complaints ? such a friend has failed 
me : I never thought to have fallen into this condi- 
tion 5 I had settled my joy in this child, in this friend, 
&c. But this is to build our comfort upon things that 
have no firm foundation ; to build castles in the air, 
as we use to say. Therefore it is a good request of 
the wise man Agar, Prov. xxx. 8. to desire the Lord 
to remove from us vanity and lies ; that is, a vain and 
false apprehension, pitching upon things that are vain 
and lying, promising a contentment to ourselves from 
the creature, which it cannot yield: confidence in 
vain things makes a vain heart ; the heart becoming 
of the nature of the thing it relies on. We may say 
of all earthly things as the prophet speaketh, Here u 
not our rest, Mic. ii. 10. 

2. It is no wonder therefore, that worldly men are 
often cast down and disquieted, when they walk in a 
vain show, Psal. xxxix. 6. as likewise that men given 
much to recreations should be subject to passionate dis- 
temper, because here things fall out otherwise than 



20 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 



they looked for : recreations being about matters that 
are variable, which especially, fall out in games of ha- 
zard, wherein they often spare not Divine 'Providence . 
itself, but break out into blasphemy. 

3. Men who grasp more businesses than they can 
discharge, must needs bear the blame and grief of 
marring many businesses, which frequently occasions 
much disquietude ; it being almost impossible to do 
many things so well as to give content to conscience. 
Hence it is, that covetous and busy men trouble both 
their hearts and their houses: though some men, from 
a largeness of parts, and a special dexterity in affairs, 
may turn over much ; yet the most capacious heart 
hath its measure 5 and when the cup is full, a little 
drop may cause the rest to spill. There is a spiritual 
surfeit ■ when the soul is overcharged with business : 
it is fit the soul should have its meet burden, and no 
more. 

4. Those likewise who depend too much upon the 
opinions of other men. A very light matter will re- 
fresh, and then again discourage a mind that rests too 
much upon the liking of others. Men who seek 
themselves too much abroad, find themselves disqui- 
eted at home : even good men many times are too 
much troubled with the unjust censures of other men, 
especially in the day of their trouble. It was Job's 
case 5 and it is a heavy thing to have affliction added 
to affliction. It was Hannah's case ; who, being 
troubled in spirit , was censured by Eli, for distemper 
in train, 1 Sam. i. 14, 15. But for vain men, who 
live more to reputation than to conscience, it cannot 
be that they should long enjoy settled quiet ; because 
those, in whose good opinion they desire to dwell, are 
ready often to take up contrary conceits, upon slender 
grounds. 

5. It is also a gi v„nd of overmuch trouble, when 
we look and pore too much and too long upon the 
evils in ourselves, and abroad in others. We may fix 
our eyes too long even upon sin itself. co_:sidering 
that we have not only a remedy against the hurt by 
sin, but a commandment to rejoice ahuay- in the 
Lord, Phil. iv. 4. Much more may we err in poring 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 21 



too much upon our afflictions 5 wherein we may find 
always in ourselves upon search, a cause to justify 
God, and always something left to comfort us : though 
we naturally mind more one cross than a hundred fa- 
vours, dwelling overlong upon the sore. 

So likewise, our minds may be too much taken up 
in consideration of the miseries of the times, at home 
and abroad, as if Christ did not rule in the midst of 
his enemies, and would not help all in due time ; or 
as if the condition of the church, in this world, were 
not, for the most part, in an afflicted and conflicting 
condition. Indeed, there is a perfect rest both for the 
souls and bodies of God's people, but that is not in 
this world 5 it is kept for hereafter : here we are in a 
sea what can we then look for but storms ? 

6. To insist upon no more, one cause of disquiet is, 
that we usurp upon God, and take his office upon us, 
by troubling ourselves in forecasting the event of 
things whereas our work is only to do our work and 
be quiet, as children when they please their parents, 
take no farther thought : our trouble is the fruit of our 
folly in this kind. 

Use 1. That which we should observe from all that 
hath been said, is, that we be not over hasty in cen- 
suring others, when we see their spirits out of temper j 
for we see how many things there are that work 
strongly upon the weak nature of man. We may sin 
more by harsh censure, than they by overmuch dis- 
temper : as in Job's case, it was a matter rather of just 
grief and pity, than great wonder or heavy censure. 

Use 2t"We may learn for our own improvement, that 
if our- estate bo calm for the present, yet we should 
labour to prepare our hearts, not only for an alteration 
of state, but of spirit, unless we be particularly care- 
ful before hand, -that our spirits fall down with our 
condition. And if it befalls us to find it otherwise 
with our souls than at other times, we should .so far 
labour to bear it, as that we do not judge it our own 
case alone, when we see here David thus to complain 
of himself, ffliy art thou cast down, 0 my soul? &c. 



22 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 



CHAP. IV. 



Of casting dozun ourselves, and especially by sorrow. 
The evils thereof. 

TV • ^ Hip words Why art thou cast 

1 O return again % ^™j$'Zt thou cast down 
down, 0 my soul? &c oi , Why whenC e we 

thyself? or, art ^^^^ ne t0 cast down 

may f^^iS^'S/owB trouble, and 
ourselves; we aie accebaaiy limner our- 

weave the web of our own sorrow and hamper 
selves in the carts of ou ^ £ >™£ cgst do 
loves nor wills that we snou u u C . th t 

We see onr Saviour Christ how careful he ^was urn 
his disciples should not be ^f'^^Ze by 
labours to prevent that trouble which ™8 ht ^ ^ 
his sufferings and departure from ^^Zlieve 
sermon. Let notour */^^ii e la8 *W- 
£« Gorf, Jefiew « me - J ?° n £ troubled The 
bled himself that we should n f b ^ ^ 

eted David's soul ; for, it he nan ,4 
would not have troubled huj; but Dgrfjg^ fa 
. thedscouragementsofthefle,h a 

oni^mSd iftSSfi, discouragements, and 



?HE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 23 

murmuring., in the soul , Jet us therefore Jay the blame 
where i.t ought to be laid. 7 me 

Obser.2 We may again see, Tkat it is the nature 
of sorrow to cast down, as ofjov to lift „*> r / f 
like lead to the soul, he'av, a3 L ^ Inks d 1" 
wards and carries the soul with it. The poo Publl" 
can, Luke xvm. 13. to shew that his soul was ca t 
down, under the sight of his sins, hun* down h U 
head : the position of his body was suitable t„ «? 
position of his mind ; his he'art "nd 1 e d wet ^ 

to throw us into too much trouble for sin „ 5 
tion in sin ; which is but a SlnVnn in ° r , pre f m P" 
us d ?wn intQ deep despairtu^fth ^ rs'^Sr-f 
God s mercy stop not his malice/he will cast u as W 
as himself, even into hell itself. 3 Jow 

The ground and reason why sorrow weaken, th» 
soul is th,s, because as joy of the'Lord doth Sen g h n 

1. By weakening the execution of the funrfi™, 
thereof ; because it drinketh up the spirits wh; t 
the instruments of the soul. P ' wh,ch are 

2. Because it cnntracteih, and drawetn th 0 1 
jnto itself from communion of that comfo t it m -°K 

Therefore, the use that we should make of thic v 
we would prevent casting down, is To en dl ' 5 
prevent ^ the C ause%\, c IZ of 

Heaviness bows down the sonl • ™a *u I ' 
blessed Saviour inviteth such nn/o ^ ° Ur 



24 THE SOULS CONFLICT WIT.l ITSELF. 

• MStt xi 28 Tne body bends under a 
your f J % MaU : n X V e 3; ullik ewisehath its burden : 
heavy burden ; so the so U ^V^ ? why s0 disqui- 
TVhy art thou cast down, u my soui a i 

St Wher?4 ? W fmay observe, first, that casting down 
WMve we -w; . : t spr ines from pride, 

breeds disquieting; J™^^ cannot stoop 
tfhSb is » ta ^f ffi ^ S ha^ them £ 

S-fLSS fron T«ntment, and that from 
this proce-is «o m d d> 

-rTbJnoise o^^U^ 

and stormy spirits, tror^ome 

others: for, when the sou djeave ^ 

l0 ° k : fSSS5- S d?e from the polLtar, and it 
quiet ? Kemo\e me n . tlll lt be 

^tSKri S-uchado, so 

"^V^w'tmfto" consider the remedies against 
We now come .™ . , - The psalmist has re- 

down-casting and d'^ 10 ^^ wlth himself. 

course unto two. 1. , fl jVust in God. 

2. By laying a cAar^ upon h'^e f ,^ « 

It is supposed here tha the r s ^ 

the wisdom from abow aUowsro 

beneath, which akes par w m only no reason 

^SSSft sSg^sons^ iM there 

him like an i-« s tth uncomely and painfully. 

duuesTGU who loves a cheerful give, 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 2S 

and especially a thankful giver. Whereupon the apos- 
tle joins them together - } In all things be thankful* 
and rejoice evermore, 1 Thess. v. 16, 13. In our com- 
munion with God in the sacraments, joy is a chief 
ingredient. So, in duties to men, if the spirit be de- 
jected, they are unwelcome, and lose the greatest part 
of their life and grace : a cheerful and a free spirit in 
duty is that which is most accepted in duty. We ob- 
serve not so much what, as from what affection a thing 
is done. 

2. It is great wrong to God himself, and makes us 
think amiss and conceive black thoughts of him, as if 
he were an enemy. What an injury~is it to a gracious 
Father, that such whom he hath followed with many 
gracious evidences of his favour and love, should be in 
so ill a fame, as once to call it into question ? 

3. It also makes a man forgetful of all former bles- 
sings, and stops the influence of God's grace, both for 
the time present, and for that to come. 

4. It likewise makes us unfit to receive good ; it in- 
capacitates us for receiving mercies. A quiet soul is 
the seat of wisdom. Therefore, meekness is required 
for the receiving of that ingrafted word which is able 
to save our souls, James i. 21. Till the Spirit of God 
meekens the soul, say what you will, it minds no- 
thing; the soul is not empty and quiet enough to re- 
ceive the seed of the word. It is ill sowing in a storm $ 
so a stormy spirit will not suffer the word to take 
place. Men are deceived when they think a dejected 
spirit to be an humble spirit. Indeed it is so when we 
are cast down in the sense of our own unworthiness, 
and then as muth raised up in the sense of God's 
mercy But when we cast ourselves down sullenly, 
and neglect our comforts, or undervalue them, it 
proceeds from pride for it controuls, as much as 
in lis lies, the wisdom and justice of God, when we 
think with ourselves, why should it be so with us ? 
as if we were wiser to dispose of ourselves than 
God is. It disposeth us for entertaining any tempta- 
tion. Satan hath never more advantage than upon 
discontent 

c 



26 THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 

5 Besides, it hinders and keeps off beginners from 
coming into the ways of God, bring an ill report upon 
religion, causing men to change it falsely for an un- 
comfortable way ; when as men never feel what true 
comfort meaneth, till they give up themselves to God 
And it damps likewise the spirits of those who walk 
the same way with us, whereas we should, as good 
travellers, cheer up one another both by word and 
example. In such a case, the wheels of the soul are 
taken off, or else, as it were, want oil ; on which 
account the soul passeth on very heavily, and no good 
action comes off from it as it should, which breeds not 
only uncomfortableness, but unsettledness in good 
courses. For a man will never go on comfortably and 
constantly in that which he heavily undertakes. That 
is the reason why uncheerful spirits seldom hold out 
as they should. The apostle Peter knew very wel, 
and therefore he willeth that there should be quiet- 
ness and peace betwixt husland and wife, ttiat their 
prayers he not hindered, 1 Pet hi. 1, 7 , insinuating, 
that their prayers are hindered by family breaches 
For by that means, those two, that should be one 
flesh and spirit, are divided, and so made two ; and 
Snsequen l P y? -hen they should mind duty their 
Sdl taken up with wrongs done by the one to the 

"° t There is nothing more required for the performing 
of holy duties than uniting of spirits ; and therefore 
^od would not have the sacrifice brought tc the altar 
before reconciliation with our brother. Matt. v. 24. 
He esteems peace so highly, that he will have h.s own 
•service stay for it. We see when Moses came to deli- 
ver the Israelites out of bondage, Exod. ix their mind 
was so taken up with their grief, that there was no 
-body within to give Moses an answer: their souls 
went altogether after their ill usage. 

Therefore we should all endeavour and labour for a 
calmed spirit, that we may the better serve God m 
praying tohim, and praising of h.m ; and serve one 
Sher in love, that we may be fitted to do and receive 
good : that we may make our passage to heaven more 
easy and cheerful, without drooping and hanging the 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 2? 

wing. So much as we are quiet and cheerful upon 
good grounds, so much we live, and are, as it were, 
in heaven. In so far as we yield to discouragement, 
we loose so much of our life and happiness, cheer- 
fulness being, as it were, that life of our lives, and the 
spirit of our spirits, by which they are more enlarged 
to receive happiness, and to express it. 



CHAP. V. 

Remedies of casting down : to cite the soul ; and press 
it to give an account. 

But we shall now proceed to take a view of some 
helps to prevent this evil. 

The first may be taken from his expostulation with 
himself : and from it we may observe, that one way 
to raise a dejected soul, is to cite it before itself, and, as 
it were, to reason the case. God hath set up a court 
in man's heart, wherein the conscience hath the of- 
fice both of informer, accuser, witness, and judge : 
and if matters were well carried within ourselves, this 
prejudging would be a prevention of future judging. 
It is a great mercy of God, that the credit and com- 
fort of men are so provided for, that he may take up 
matters in himself, and so prevent public disgrace. 
But if there be not a fair dispatch and transaction in 
this inferior court within us, there will be a review in 
a higher court. Therefore, by slubbering over our 
matters, we put God and ourselves to more trouble 
than needs : for a judgment must pass first, or last, 
either within us, or without us, upon all unwarranta- 
ble distempers. We must not only be ready to give 
an account of our faith, upon what grounds we be- 
lieve; but of all our actions, upon what grounds we 
do what we do 5 and of our passions, upon what 
grounds we are passionate : as in a well-governed 
state, uproar and sedition is never stirred, but account 
c2 



28 THB SOULS CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 

must be given. Now, in a mutiny, the presence and 
speech of a venerable man, composed the minds , of the 
disordered multitude ; so likewise , a mutiny of the sp- 
rit, the authority which God hath put into reason as 
a beam of himself, commands silence, and puts all in 

^Anfthere is good reason for it, because man is an 
understanding feature, and hath a rule given him to 
ve by and therefore is to be accountable for every 
thought, word, action, and passion. Therefore the 
first way to quiet the soul, is to ask the reason of the 
S raised} and then many of out -distempers, foi 
S "ill not appearj because, though they rage 
£ darkness, yet they can say nothing for them- 
selves, being summoned before strength of judgment 
and reason. Which is the reason why passionate men 
a?e S that any court should be kept wUhm them, 
but labour to stop judgment all they can. If men 
would but Sive themselves leave to consider better of 
T they wolld never yield to such unreasonable mo- 
t tens ; of the soul. If they could but gam so much of 
their uumly passions, as' to reason the matter withm 
tmsXes^o hear what their consciences can ^ 11 
tl^m in secret, there would not be such olrensi\e 
breakings out And therefore, if we be ashamed to 
hear oK upbraiding us, let us for shame hear our- 
seWe ^ and if no reason can be given, what an unac- 
l , ana » endowed with reason, 

countable thing is it, ior uic _ - p j a , a heast 
to cross his own principles, and be carried as a oeast 
to croas ins f r»r if there be any reason to be 
wl thout ^^^^1*^ see whether 
assigned, then this is me y rea _ 

i:^z;™ y xz\z: ^ be so 7 ^ r * 

l T L if the [udgment be not corrupted by them, 
Sevdifnot £ brought to light, but always appear 

secret reason is one the ^ pen* 

^sudl kind o men lie afraid of thlr .own con- 
Tctncet s MabofMicaiah, l Kings, xxu. because 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 



29 



they fear it would deal truly with them : and there- 
fore they take either present order for their consci- 
ences, or else, as Felix put off Paul, Acts xxiv. 25. 
they adjourn the court for another time. Such men 
are strangers at home, afraid of nothing more than of 
themselves, and therefore in a fearful condition, be- 
cause they are reserved for the judgment of the great 
day, if God doth not before that set upon them in this 
world. 

If men, carried away with their own lusts, would 
give but a little check, and stop themselves in their 
posting to hell, and seriously ask their souls, What 
have I done? What am I now about? Whither will ' 
this course tend? How will it end ? &c. undoubtedly 
men would begin to be wise. Would the blasphemer 
give away his soul for nothing ; (for there is no en- 
gagement of profit or pleasure in this, as in other sins, 
but it issues merely out of irreverence, and a super- 
fluity of profaneness ;) would he, I say, draw so 
heavy a guilt upon himself for nothing, if he would 
but make use of his reason ? Would an old man, 
when he is very near his journey's end, make longer 
provision for a short way, if he would ask himself a 
reason ? But, indeed, covetousness is an unreasonable 
vice. 

If those also of the younger sort would ask of them- 
selves, Why God should not have thejlower and mar- 
row of their age ? and why they should give their 
strength to the devil ? it might a little take them off 
from the devil's service. But sin is a work of dark- 
ness 3 and therefore shuns not only the light of grace, 
but even the light of reason- Yet sin is still the more 
unreasonable, as without reason, it pretends reasons, 
and seldom wants a seeming excuse : men will not go 
to hell without a shew of reason. But such are only 
sophistical fancies, not reason ; and therefore sinners 
are said to play the sophisters with themselves. Satan 
could not deceive us, unless we deceived ourselves 
first, and are willingly deceived. Wilful sinners are 
blind, because they put out the light of reason, and 
so think God, like themselves, blind too, Psalm 1. 
and therefore they are deservedly termed madmen and 



30 the soul's conflict with itself. 



fools : for, did they but make use of that spark of 
reason, it would teach them to reason thus j I cannot 
give an account of my ways to myself : what account 
shall J, or can I give then, to the Judge of all flesh 
ere it be long ? 

As it is a ground of repentance, in stopping our 
course, to ask, What have I done ? So likewise of 
faith and new obedience, to ask, What shall I do for 
the time to come ? And then upon settling, the soul, 
in a way of thanks, will be ready to ask itself, What 
shall I return to the Lord ? &c. So that the soul, by 
thus dealing with itself, prompteth itself up to holy 
duties till it come to heaven. 

The reasons why we are thus so backward to the 
keeping of this court in ourselves, proceeds from seve- 
ral sources. 

1. It ariseth sometimes from self-love : we love to 
flatter our own affections 5 but this self-love is but 
self-hatred in the end : he that regards not this part 
of wisdom, as the wise man saith, hates his own 
soul, and shall eat the fruits of his oivn ways. 

2. It issues likewise from an irksomeness of labour, 
which makes us rather willing to seem base and vile 
to ourselves and others, than to take pains with our 
own hearts to be better ; as those that are weary 01 
holding the reins, give them up to the horse's neck, 
and so are driven whither the rage of the horse car- 
rieth them. Sparing a little trouble at first, doubles 
it in the end : as he who will not take the pains to 
cast up his books, his books will cast up him in the 
issue It is a blessed trouble that brings sound and 
loner 'peace. This labour saves God a labour 5 for, 
therefore he judgeth us, because we would not take 
pains with ourselves before, 1 Corxi. 31. 

1 3 Pride also, with a desire of liberty, makes men 
think it to be a diminishing of greatness and freedom, 
either to be curbed, or to curb ourselves. We love 
to be absolute, and independent : but this, as it 
brought ruin upon our nature in Adam ; so it will 
upon our persons. Men, as Luther was wont to say, 
are born with a Pope in their breast : they are loath 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 31 

to give an account, although it be to themselves ; their 
wills are instead of a kingdom to them. 

Let us therefore, when any lawless questions begin 
to stir, deal with our souls as God did with Jonah, 
chap. iv. Dost thou do well to be angry ? to fret thus ? 
This will be a means to make us quiet. For, alas I 
what weak reasons have we often of strong motions ? 
Such a man gave me no respect 5 such another looked 
more kindly upon another man than upon me, &c. 
You have some of Hainan's spirit, Esther v. who, for 
a little neglect, would ruin a whole nation. Passion 
presents men that are innocent as guilty to us ; and 
because we will not seem to be mad without reason, 
pride commands the wit to justify anger 5 and so one 
passion maintains another. 

Obser. 2. Neither is it sufficient to cite the soul be- 
fore itself-, but, it must be pressed to give an account, 
as we see here 5 David doubles, and trebles the expos* 
tulation : as oft as any distemper did arise, so oft did 
he labour to keep it down. If passions grow too inso- 
lent, Eli's mildness will do no good, 1 Sam. ii. 24. 
It would prevent much trouble in this kind, to subdue 
betimes, in ourselves and others, the first beginnings 
of any unruly passions and affections ; which, if they 
be not well tutored and disciplined at the first, prove 
as headstrong, unruly, and illnatured children, who, 
being not chastened in time, take such a head, that 
it is often above the power of the parents to bring 
them in order. A child set at liberty , saith Solo- 
mon, breeds shame, at length, to his parents, Prov. 
xxix. 15. Adonizeth's example shews this. The like 
may be said of the affections set at liberty : it is dan- 
gerous to redeem a little quiet by yielding to our affec- 
tions, which is never safely gotten but by mortification 
of them. 

Those who are in great place, are most in danger, 
by yielding to' themselves to lose themselves ; for they 
are so taken up with the respect for a time put upon 
them, that they, both in look and speech, and car- 
riage, often shew that they forget both their natural 
condition as men, and much more their supernatural 
as Christians ; and therefore are scarce advisable by 



32 the soul's conflict with itself. 



others or themselves, in these things that concern their 
severed condition, which respecteth another world. 
Whereas it were more commendable so to think of 
the place they bear, by which they are called gods, as 
not to forget they must lay their person aside, and 
die like men, Psa. lxxxii. 6, 7. David himself, who, 
in his afflicted condition, could advise with himself, 
and check himself ; yet, in his free and flourishing 
estate, neglected the counsel of his friends, 2 Sam. 
xxiv. 4. Agur was in jealousy of a full condition j and 
afraid, lest instead of saying, What have I done ? why 
am I thus cast down ? &c. he should say, Who is the 
Lord ? Prov. xxx. 9. 

Meaner men, in their lesser sphere, often shew 
what their spirits would be at, if their compass were 
enlarged. 

It is a great fault in breeding youth, for fear of 
taking down their spirits, not to take down their 
pride, and get victory over their affections ; whereas 
a proud unbroken heart raiseth us often more trouble 
than all the world beside. Of all troubles, the trou- 
ble of a proud heart is the greatest : it was a great 
trouble to Haman to lead Mordecai's horse, Esther 
vi. I. which another man would not have thought so. 
The moving of a straw is troublesome to proud flesh. 
And therefore it is good to bear the yoke from our 
youth, Lam. III. 27. It is better to be taken down in 
youth, than to be broken in pieces by great crosses in 
age. First or last, self-denial and victory over our- 
selves is absolutely necessary ; otherwise faith, which 
is a grace that requireth self-denial, will never be 
brought into the soul, and bear rule there. 

But, what ifpressbig upon our souls will not help ? 

Why then, in that case, speak to God, to Jesus 
Christ 'by prayer, that as he rebuked the winds and 
the waves, and went upon the sea, so he would walk 
upon our souls, and command a calm there. It re- 
quires no less power to settle a peace in the soul, than 
to command the seas to be quiet. It is God's prero- 
gative to rule in the heart, as likewise to give it up 
to itself, which, next to hell, is the greatest judg- 
ment, and should therefore draw us to the greater 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF, 33 



reverence and fear of displeasing God. It was no ill 
wish of him, that desired God to free him from an 
evil man, himself. 



CHAP. VI. 

Other Observations of the same Nature. 

^\V"e may moreover observe, in the third place, 
that a godly man can put a restraint upon himself , 
as^ David here stays himself in falling. There is a 
principle of grace, that stops the heart, and pulls in 
the reins again when the affections are loose. A car- 
nal man, when he begins to be cast down, sinks 
lower and lower, until he sinks into despair, as lead 
sinks into the bottom of the sea : They sank, they 
sank, like lead in the mighty waters,. Exod xiv. 5. A 
carnal man sinks, like a heavy body, to the centre of 
the earth, and stays not, if it be not stopped : there is 
nothing in him to stay him in falling, as we see in 
Ahithophel and Saul j who, wanting a support, found 
no other stay, but the sword's point, 2 Sam. xvii. 23. 
And the greater their parts and place are, the more 
they entangle themselves 5 and no wonder, for they 
are to encounter with God, and his deputy, Consci- 
ence, who is King of kings, and Lord of lords. When 
Cain was cast out of his father's house, his heart and 
countenance was always cast down 3 for he had no- 
thing in him to lift it upwards. But a godly man, 
though he may give a little way to passion ; yet, as 
David, he recovers himself. Therefore, if we would 
have any good evidence, that we have a better spirit 
in us than our own, greater than the flesh or the worlds 
let us, in all troubles we meet with, gather up our- 
selves, that the stream of our own affections carry us 
not away too fari 

There is an art or skill of bearing troubles, if we 
could learn it, without overmuch troubling of our- 
selves .: as in bearing of a burden, there is a way so 
c 5 



34 THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 

to poise it, that it weigheth not over heavy : if it 
hangs all on one side, it poises the body. The greater 
part of our troubles we pull upon ourselves, by not 
parting our care so, as to take upon us only the care 
of duty, and leave the rest to God; and by mingling 
our passions with our crosses ; and like a foolish pa- 
tient chewing the pills which we should swallow 
down We dwell too much upon grief, when we 
should remove the soul higher. We are nearest 
neiabbours to ourselves : when we suffer griet, liKe a 
canker, to eat into the soul; and, like fire in the 
bones, to consume the marrow, and drink up the spi- 
rits, we are accessary to the wrong done both to our 
bod'ies and souls. We waste our candle, and put out 

° m Ob^cr' 4. We may here see again, That a godly 
man can viake a good use of privacy. When he is 
forced to be alone, he can talk with his God and him- 
self- one reason of which is, that his heart is a trea- 
sury' and storehouse of divine truths, whence he can 
speak to himself, by way of check, or encouragement 
of himself : he hath a Spirit over his own spirit, to 
teach him to make use of that store he hath laid up 
in his heart : the Spirit is never nearer him than when, 
bv way of witness to his spirit, he is thus comforted. 
In this the child of God differs from another man, 
who cannot endure solitariness, because his heart is 
empty : he was a stranger to God before, and God is 
a stranger to him now ; so that he cannot go to God 
as a friend. And for his conscience, that is ready to 
speak to him, that which he is loath to hear; and 
therefore, he counts himself a torment to himself, 
esDeciaUy in privacy. , 

We read of great princes, who, after some bloody 
designs, were terrible to themselves as they were for- 
merly to others ; and therefore could never endure to 
be awakened in the night, without music, or some 
such like diversion* It may be we may be cast into 

* As Charles the ninth, after the massacre of France. Som- 

numZst casum Sanlartholomceum nocturni horrores pUru mq uz 
ffiSSi, et rursus aMHti symphoniaci cxpergefacto c<m- 
ciliaUnU Thuanus, lib. lvn. 



THE SOUL*S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF, 35 

such a condition, where we have none in the world to 
comfort us, as in contagious sickness, when none 
will come near us ; we may be in such an estate 
wherein no friend will own us. And therefore, let 
us labour now to be acquainted with God and our own 
hearts 3 and acquaint our hearts with the comforts of 
the Holy Ghost : then, though we have not so much 
as a book to look on, or a friend to converse with, 
yet we may look with comfort into the book of our 
own heart, and read what God hath written there by 
the finger of his Spirit. All books are written to 
amend this one book of our heart and conscience. By 
this means we shall never want a divine to comfort 
us, a physician to cure us,, a counsellor to direct us, 
a musician to cheer us, a controller to check us, be- 
cause, by help of the word and Spirit, we can be all 
these to. ourselves. - 

Obser. 5. Another thing we may see here, That 
God hath made every man a governor over himself. 
The poor man that hath none to govern, yet ye may 
be a king in himself. It is the natural ambition of 
man's heart to desire government, as we see in the 
bramble, Judges ix. Well then, let us make use of 
this disposition, to rule ourselves. Absalom had high 
thoughts O, if I were a king, I would do so and so. 
So our hearts are ready to promise, if I were as such 
and such a man> in such and such a place, I would do 
this and that. 

But how dost thou manage thine own affections ? 
how dost thou rule in thine own house ? in thyself? 
Do not passions get the upper hand, and keep reason 
under foot ? When we have learned to rule over our 
own spirits well, then we may be fit to rule over, 
others.. He that is faithful in a little shall be set over 
more. Matt. xxv. 31. He that can govern himself, in 
the wise man's judgment, is better than he that can 
govern a city, Prov. xvi. 32. He that cannot, is like 
a city without a wall, where those that are in may go 
out, and the enemies without, may come in at their 
pleasure. So, where there is not a government set 
up, there sin breaks out, and Satan breaks in without 
eontrouh 



36 THE SOULS CONFLICT "WITH ITSELF. 

Olser. 6. We may again see, The excellency of the 
soul, that can reflect upon itself, and judge of whatso- 
ever comes from it. A godly man's care and trouble 
is especially about his soul : David here looks princi- 
pally to that 5 becausa all outward troubles are de- 
signed for the help of the soul : when God touches 
our bodies, our estates, or our friends, he aims at 
the o-ood of the soul in all these. God will never re- 
move his hand, till something be wrought upon the 
soul 3 as David's moisture was as the drought of sum- 
merl so that he roared, and carried himself unseemly 
(for so great and holy a man) till his heart was subdued 
to deal without all guile with God in confessing his &m» 
and then God forgave him the iniquity thereof, and 
healed his body too, Fsa. xxxii. 5. In sickness, or in 
any other trouble, it is best the divine should be be- 
fore the physician : and we begin where God begins. 
In great fires, men look first to their jewels, and 
then to their lumber : so our soul is our best jewel, 
and ought principally to be taken care of. A carnal 
worldly man, is called, and justly too, a fleshly man, 
because his soul is flesh, and there is nothing but the 
world in him. And therefore, when all is not well, 
within, he cries out, My hody is troubled, my state 
is broken, my friends fail me, &c. but all this while, 
there is no care for the poor soul to settle a peace in 

that, . . , . ■ 

The possession -of the soul is the richest possession 5 
no jewel so precious : the account for our own souls, 
and the souls of others, is the greatest account 3 and 
therefore the care of souls should be the greatest care 
What an indignity is it that we should forget such 
souls, to satisfy our lusts ? to have our wills ? to be 
vexed with any, who, by their judgment, example, 
or authority, stop, as we suppose, our courses ? Is 
it not the greatest plot of the world, 1. To have their 
lusts satisfied j 2. To remove, either by fraud, or vio- 
lence, whatsoever standeth in their way y and, 3. lo 
put colours and pretences upon this, to delude the 
world and themselves, employing all their carnal wit 
and worldly strength for their carnal aims, and tight- 
tag for that which fights against their own souls ? 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 37 

For what will be the issue of this but certain destruc- 
tion ? 

Of this mind are many, not only of the dregs of the 
people, but many of the more refined sort,, who de- 
sire to be eminent in the world ; and, to have their 
own desires herein, give up the liberty @f their own 
judgments and consciences, to the desire and lusts of 
others. .To be above others, they will be beneath 
themselves : having those persons in admiration, for 
hope of advantage, whom otherwise they despise, and 
so substituting in their spirits, man in the place of God r 
lose heaven for earth, and bury that divine spark, 
their souls, capable of the divine nature, and fitter 
to be a sanctuary and temple for God to dwell in, than 
by closing with base things to become base itself. 
We need not wonder that others seem base to carnal 
men, who are base both in and to themselves. It is 
no wonder they should be cruel to the souls of others^ 
who are cruel to their own souls ; that they should 
neglect and starve others, that give away their own 
souls in a manner for nothing. Alas ! upon what 
poor terms do they hazard that, the nature and worth 
whereat" is beyond man's reach to comprehend ? Many 
are so careless in this kind, that if they were tho- 
roughly persuaded that they had souls that should live 
for ever, either in bliss or torment, we might the 
more easily work upon them. But as they live by 
sense, as beasts, so they have no more thoughts of 
future times than beasts^ except at such times as 
conscience is awakened by some sudden judgment, 
whereby God's wrath is revealed from heaven against 
them. But happy were it for them, if they might die 
like beasts,, whose misery dies with them. 

To such an estate hath sin brought the soul, that 
it willingly drowneth itself in the senses, and be- 
comes in some respect incarnate with the flesh. We 
should therefore set ourselves to have most care of 
that, which God cares most for y which he breathed 
into us- at first) set his own image upon 3 gave so 
great a price for ; and values above all the world be- 
sides. Shall our studies be to satisfy the desires of the. 
flesh, and neglect this ? 



38 the soul's conflict with itself. 



Is it not a vanity to prefer the casket before the 
jewel, the shell before the pearl, the gilded potsherd 
before the treasure ? And is it riot much more va- 
nity, to prefer the outward condition before the in- 
ward ? The soul is that which Satan and his hath 
most spite at, for in troubling cur bodies or estates, 
he aims at the vexation of our souls. As in the case 
of Job, chap. i. his aim was to abuse that power 
which God had given him over his children, body, 
and goods, to make him, out of a disquieted spirit, 
blaspheme God, It is an ill method to begin our 
care in other things, and neglect the soul ; as Ahir 
thophel, who set his house in order, when he should- 
have set his soul ia order first. Wisdom begins at the 
right end. If all be well at home, it comforts a man 
though he meets with troubles abroad. Oh ! saith he, 
I shall have rest at home, I have a loving wife and 
dutiful children ; so whatsoever we meet withal 
abroad, if the soul be quiet, thither we can retire with 
comfort, See that all be well within, and then all 
troubles from without cannot much annoy us. 

Grace will teach us to reason thus, God hath given 
mine enemies power over my liberty and condition 5 
but shall thev have power and liberty over my spirit ? 
It is that which Satan and they most seek for : but 
never vield, O my soul ! And thus a godly man will 
become more than a conqueror 5 when, in appearance, 
he is conquered, the cause prevails, his spirit prevails, 
and is undaunted. A Christian is not subdued till his 
spirit be subdued. Thus Job prevailed over Satan and 
all his troubles at length. This tormenteth proud per- 
sons to see godly men enjoy a calm and resolute frame 
of mind in the midst of troubles 3 when their enemies 
are more troubled in troubling them, than they are in 
being troubled by them. 

Obser. f. We may see likewise here, How to 
frame our complaints. David complains not of God, 
nor of his troubles, nor of others, but of his own soul 
he complains of himself, to himself As if he should 
say, Though all things else be out of order ; yet, O my 
soul, thou shouldst not trouble me too : thou shouldst 
not betray thyself anto troubles, but ride over them. 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF, 39 



A godly man complains to God, yet not of God, but 
of himself : a carnal man is ready to justify himself, 
and complain of God. He complains not to God, but 
of God, at the least, in secret murmuring : he com- 
plains of others that are but God's vials : he complains 
of the grievance that lies upon him, but never regards 
what is amiss in himself within : openly he cries out 
upon fortune, yet secretly he strikes at God, under 
that idol of fortune, by whose guidance all things 
come to pass. Whilst he quarrels with that which is 
nothing, he wounds him that is the cause of all things : 
like a gouty man that complains of his shoe, and of 
his bed 3 or an aguish man of his drink, when the 
cause is from within. So men are disquieted with 
others, when they should rather be disquieted and 
angry with their own hearts. 

We condemn Jonas for contending with God, and 
justifying his unjust anger 5 but yet the same risings 
are in men naturally, if shame would suffer them to 
give vent to their secret discontent : their heart speaks 
what Jonas's tongue spake. Oh ! but here we should 
lay our hand upon our mouth, and adore God, and 
command silence to our souls. 

No man is hurt but by himself first : we are drawn 
to evil, and allured from a true good to a false one, 
by our own lusts ; God tempts no man, James i. 13. 
Satan hath no power over us further than we willingly 
lay open to him : he works upon our affections, and 
then our affections work upon our will. He doth 
not work immediately upon the will : we may thank 
ourselves in willingly yielding to our own passions, 
for all that evil Satan or his instruments draws us unto. 
Saul was not vexed with an evil spirit, until be gave 
way to his own evil spirit of envy first, 1 Sam. xvi. 
The devil entered not into Judas, until his covetous 
heart made way for him, Matt, xxvii. 3. The apostle 
strengthened his conceit against rash and lasting anger 
from hence, that by this we give way to the devil, 
Eph. iv. It is a dangerous thing to pass from God's 
government, and come under Satan's. 

Satan mingleth himself with our own passions; 
therefore we should blame ourselves first, be ashamed 



40 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 



of ourselves most, and judge ourselves most severely. 
But self-love teachech us a contrary method ; to trans- 
late all upon others : it robs us of a right judgment of 
ourselves. Though we desire to know all diseases of 
the body by their proper names, yet we often conceive 
of the sinful passions Qf the soul in milder terms ; as 
lust under love, rage under just anger, murmuring 
under just displeasure, &c. Thus whilst we flatter 
our grief, what hope of cure ! Thus sin hath not only 
made all the creatures enemies to us, but ourselves the 
greatest enemies to ourselves ; and therefore we should 
begin our complaints against ourselves, and discuss 
ourselves thoroughly: how else shall we judge truly 
of other things without us, above us, or beneath us ? 
The sun, when it arises, enlightens first the nearest 
places, and then the more remote: so, where true 
light is set up, it discovers what is amiss within 
first. 

Obser. 8. Hence also we see, That as in all dis- 
couragements a godly man hath most trouble with his 
own heart, so he knows how to carry himself therein ; 
as we see was the case with David here. 

For the better clearing of this, we must know there 
are divers kinds and degrees of conflicts in the soul of 
man, whilst it is united to the body. As, 

1. Between one corrupt passion and another : as 
between covetousness and pride ; pride calls for ex- 
pence, covetousness for restraint : often passions fight 
not only against God and reason, to which they owe 
an homage, but one against another. Sin fights against, 
sin 5 and a less sin is oftentimes overcome by a 
greater. The soul, in this case, is like the sea tossed 
with contrary winds 5 and like a kingdom divided,, 
wherein subjects fight both against their prince, and 
one against another. 

2. There is a natural conflict in the affections, 
whereby nature seeks to preserve itself, as betwixt 
anger and fear : anger calls for revenge ; fear of the 
law binds the soul to be quiet. We see in the crea- 
tures, fear makes them abstain from that which their 
appetites carry them unto. A wolf comes to a flock 
with an eagerness to prey upon it j but seeing the 



THE SOUL*S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 41 

shepherd stand in .defence of his sheep, returns and 
doth no harm ; and yet, for all this, as he came a 
wolf, so he returns a wolf. 

A natural man may oppose some sin from an obsti- 
nate resolution against it, not from any love to God, 
or hatred of sin, as sin ; but because he conceives it 
a brave thing to have his will. As one hard weapon 
may strike at another, as a stone wall may beat back 
an arrow but this opposition is not from a contrariety 
of nature, as is betwixt fire and water. 

3. There is a conflict of a higher nature, as be- 
tween some sins, and the light of reason, helped by 
a natural conscience. The heathen could reason, from 
the dignity of the soul, to count it a base thing to 
prostitute themselves to beastly lusts, so as it were 
degrading and unmanning themselves.* Natural men 
desirous to maintain a great opinion of themselves, 
and to awe the inferior sort by gravity of deportment 
in carriage, will abstain from that, which otherwise 
their hearts carry them unto, lest yielding should 
render them despised, by laying themselves too much 
open : because, as passion discovers a fool as he is, 
and makes a wise man thought meaner than he is ; 
therefore a prudent man will conceal his passion. 
Reason refined and raised by education, example, and 
custom, doth break, in some degree, the force of na- 
tural corruption, and brings into the soul, as it were, 
another nature, and yet no true change 5 as we see in 
such as hare been inured to good courses, they feel 
conscience checking them upon the first discontinu- 
ance and alteration of their former good ways, but 
this is usually from a former impression of their breed- 
ing, as the boat moves some little time upon the wa- 
ter, by virtue of the former stroke ; yet, at length, 
we see corruption prevailing over education, as in 
Joas, who was awed by the reverend respect he bare 
to his uncle Jehoiada 5 he was good all his uncle's 
days, 2 Kings, xii. 2. And in Nero, in whom the 

* Major sum, et ad majora natus, quam ut corporis mei sim 
mancipium, Seneca. 



42 the soul's conflict with itself. 



goodness of his education prevailed over the fierceness 
of his nature, for the first five years. 

4. But in the church, where there shineth a light 
above nature, as there is a discovery of more sins, and 
some strength, with the light to perform more duty ; 
so there is a farther conflict than in a man that hath 
no better than nature in him. By a discovery of 
the excellent things of the gospel, there may be some 
kind of joy stirred up, and some degree of resistance 
against the sins of the gospel, as obstinate unbelief, 
desperation, profaneness, &c. A man in the church 
may do more than another out of the church, by rea- 
son of the enlargement of his knowledge : whereupon 
such cannot sin at so easy a rate as others that know 
less 5 and, therefore, met with less opposition from 
conscience. 

5. There is yet a farther degree of conflict betwixt 
the sanctified powers of the soul, and the flesh ; not 
only as it is seated in the baser parts, but even in the 
best faculties of the soul, and as it mingles itself with 
every gracious performance, as in David. There is 
not onlva^conflict betwixt sin and conscience, enlight- 
ened bya com mo n work of the Spirit; but between 
the commanding powers of the soul sanctified, and it- 
self unsanctified; between reasons of the flesh, and 
reasons of the spirit; between faith and distrust ; be- 
tween the true light of knowledge, and false light. 
For it is no question, but the flesh would play its part 
in David, and muster up all the strength of reason it 
had. And usually flesh, as it is more ancient than 
the spirit (we being first natural, then spiritual) so it 
will put itself first forward in devising shifts, as Esau 
comes out of the womb first before Jacob ; yet hereby 
the spirit is stirred up to a present examination and 
resistance, and in resisting, as we see here, at length 
the godly gets the victory. As in the conflict between 
the higher parts of the soul with the lower, it clearly 
appears, that the soul doth not rise out of the temper 
of the body, but is a more noble substance, com- 
manding the body by reasons fetched from its own 
worth 5%o in this spiritual conflict, it appears there 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 43 

is something better than the soul itself, that hath 
superiority over it. 

CHAP. VII. 

The Difference between good Men and others, in 
Conflicts with Sin. 

BuT how doth it appear that this combat in David 
was a spiritual combat ? That it was so will appear 
evident, if we consider the following particulars. 

1 . A natural conscience is troubled for sin against 
the light of nature only, but David for inward and 
secret corruptions, as discouragement and disquietness 
arising from faint trusting in God. 

David's conflict was not only with the sensual lower 
part of his soul, which is carried to ease and quiet, 
and love of present things, but he was troubled with 
a mutiny in his understanding, between Jaith and 
distrust ; and therefore he was forced to rouse up his 
soul so often to trust in God, which shews that carnal 
reason did solicit him to discontent, and had many 
colourable reasons for it. 

2. A man endued with common grace, is rather a 
patient than an agent in conflicts : the light troubles 
him against his will, as discovering and reproving 
him, and hindering his sinful contentments ; his 
heart is more biassed another way, ^f the light would 
let him : but a godly man labours to help the light, 
and to work up his heart to a constant opposition 
against sin ; he is an agent as well as a patient. 
As David here doth not suffer disquieting, but is dis- 
quieted with himself for being so. A godly man is an 
agent, in opposing his corruption ; and a patient in 
enduring it : whereas a natural man is a secret agent 
in and for his corruptions, and a patient in regard 
of any help against them. A good man suffers evil, 
and doth good } a natural man suffers good, and doth 
evil. 



44 the soul's conflict with itself. 



3. A conscience guided ly common light, with- 
stands distempers most by outward means ; but David 
here fetched help from the Spirit of God in him, and 
from trust in God. Nature works from within 5 so 
doth the new nature. David is not only something 
disquieted, and something troubled for being disqui- 
eted, but sets himself thoroughly against his distem- 
pers : he complains, and expostulates; he censures 
and chargeth his soul. The other, if he doth any 
thing at all, yet it is faintly 5 he seeks out his cor- 
ruptions as a coward doth his enemy, loath to find him, 
and more unwilling to encounter with him. 

4. David withstands sin constantly, and gets ground. 
We see here, he gives not over at the first, but pres- 
seth again and again. Nature works constantly, so 
doth the new nature. The conflict in the other is 
something forced, as taking part with the worser side 
in himself ; good things have a weak, or rather no 
party in him, bad things a strong 5 and therefore he 
soon gives over in his holy quarrel. 

5. David is not discouraged by his foils, but sets 
himself afresh against his corruptions, with confidence 
to bring them under. Whereas he that hath but a 
common work of the Spirit, after some foils, lets his 
enemy prevail more and more, and so despairs of vic- 
tory, and thinks it better to sit still, than to rise and 
take a new fall 3 by which means his latter end is 
worse than his beginning : for, beginning in the Spi- 
rit, he ends in the flesh. A godly man, although 
upon some foil, he may for a time be discouraged ; yet 
by holy indignation against sin, he renews his force, 
sets afresh upon his corruptions, gathers more strength 
by his falls, and groweth into more acquaintance with 
his own heart, Satan's malice, and God's strange ways 
in bringing light out of darkness. 

6. An ordinary Christian may be disquieted for being 
disquieted, as David was ; but then it is only as dis- 
quiet hath vexation in it : but David here striveth 
against the unqi>ietness of his spirit, not only as it 
brought vexation with it, but as it hindered commu- 
nion with his God. 

In sin there is not only a guilt, binding over the 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 45 

soul to God's judgment, and thereupon filling the 
soul with inward fears and terrors : but in sin like- 
wise there is, 1. A contrariety to God's holy nature ; 
2. A contrariety to the divine nature and image 
stamped upon ourselves 5 3. A weakening and disa- 
bling of the soul from good ; and, 4. A hindering of 
our former communion with God. Sin being, in its 
nature, a leaving of God, the fountain of all strength 
and comfort, and cleaving to the creature 5 hereupon 
the soul, having tasted the sweetness of God before, 
is now grieved, and this grief is not only for the guilt 
and trouble that sin draws after it, but from an in- 
ward antipathy and contrariety betwixt the sanctified 
soul and sin. The soul hates sin as sin, as the only 
bane and poison of renewed nature, and the only 
thing that breeds strangeness betwixt God and the 
soul. And this hatred, is not so much from discourse 
and strength of reason, as from nature itself rising 
presently against its enemy. The lamb presently shuns 
the wolf from a contrariety. Antipathies wait not for 
any strong reason, but are exercised upon the first 
presence of a contrary object. 

7. Hereupon ariseth the last difference ; that be- 
cause the soul hateth sin as sin, therefore it opposeth 
it universally and perpetually , in all the actions in- 
ward and outward, issuing from these powers. Da- 
vid regarded no iniquity in his heart, hit hated every 
evil way, Psa. Ixvi. 18. The desires of his soul were, 
that it might be so directed, that he might keep God's 
lata, Psa. cxix. 5. And if there had been no binding 
law, yet there was such a sweet sympathy and agree- 
ment betwixt his soul and God's truth, that he de- 
lighteth in it above all natural sweetness. Hence it is 
that St. John saith, He that is born of God sinneth not, 
1 John, iii. 9. that is, so far forth as he is born of 
God : his new nature will not suffer him 5 he cannot 
lie, he cannot deceive, he cannot be earthly minded ; 
he cannot but love and delight in the persons and 
.things that are good. There is not only a light in the 
understanding, but a new life in the will, and all 
other faculties of a godly man : what good his know- 
ledge discovereth, that his will makes choice of, and 



46 THE soul's conflict with itself. 

his heart loveth ; what ill his understanding discovers, 
that his will hateth and abstains from. But m a man, 
not thoroughly converted, the will and affections are 
bent otherwise ; he loves not the good he doth, nor 
hates the evil he doth not. 

Therefore, the use that we ought to make of this 
point is, let us make a narrow search into our souls, 
upon what grounds we oppose sin, and fight trod s 
battles. A common Christian is not cast down, be- 
cause he is disquieted in God's service, or for . his in- 
ward failings, that he cannot serve God with that li- 
berty and freedom he desires, &c. But a godly man 
is troubled for his distempers, because they hinder 
the comfortable intercourse betwixt God and his soul, 
and that spiritual composedness, and quietness of spi- 
rit which he enjoyed before, and desires to enjoy 
a^rain. He is troubled that the waters of his soul are 
troubled so, that the image of Christ shines not in him 
as it did before. It grieves him to find an abatement 
in affection, in love to God, a distraction or coldness 
in performing duties, any doubting of God s favour, 
any discouragement from duty, &c. A godly man s 
comforts and grievances are hid from the world; 
natural men are strangers to them. 
rule of discerning our estates, how we stand affected 
to the distempers of our hearts : if we find them 
troublesome, it is a ground of comfort unto us that 
our spirits are ruled by a higher Sp.nt ■ and that there 
is a Principle of that life in us, which cannot brook 
the most secret corruption, but rather casts ,t out 
by a holy complaint, as strength of nature doth poison, 
which seeks its destruction. And let us be in love 
with that work of grace in us, which makes us out 
of love with the least stirrings that hinder our best 

CO "oil™.'o. See again, That we may he sinfully dis- 
quieted for that which is not a sin to he disquieted for. 
David had sinned if he had not been somewhat trou- 
bled for the banishment from God s house, and the 
euemies of the church; but yet, we see he > stops 
himself, and sharply takes up his soul for being d s . 
quieted: he did well in being disquieted, and in 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 



checking himself for the same ; there were good 
grounds for both. He had wanted spiritual life if he 
had not been disquieted. He abated the vigour and 
liveliness of his life, by being overmuch disquieted. 



CHAP. VIII. 

Of unfitting Dejection ; and when it is excessive : and 
what is the right temper of the soul herein. 

Sect. L 



XF it be inquired then, How we may know when 
a man is cast down and disquieted, otherwise than is 
befitting ? 

To this it may be replied, that there is a threefold 
miscarriage of inward trouble. 

1. When the soul is troubled for that which it 
should not be vexed for ; as Ahab, when he was cros- 
sed in his will for Naboth's vineyard. 

2 In the ground, as when we grieve for that which 
is good, and for that which we should grieve for $ 
but it is with too much reflecting upon our own par- 
ticular. v 

As in the troubles of the state or church, we ought 
to be affected 5 but not because these troubles hinder 
any liberties of the flesh, and restrain pride of life, 
but from higher respects : as that by these troubles 
God is dishonoured, the public exercise of religion 
hindered, and the gathering of souls thereby stop- 
ped : as the states and commonwealths, which 
should be harbours of the church, are disturbed 5 as 
lawless courses and persons prevail ; as religion and 
justice is triumphed over, and trodden under. Men 
usually are grieved for public miseries from a spirit 
of self-love only, because their own private is em- 
barked in the public. There is a depth of deceit of 
the. heart in this matter. 



48 THE soul's conflict with itself. 

3 So for the measure, when we trouble ourselves, 
though not without cause, yet without bounds. 

The spirit of man is like unto moist elements, as 
air and water, which have no bounds of their own to 
contaTn Them in, but those of the vessel that keeps 
them: water is spilt and lost without something to 
Sd t : so it is with the spirit of man, unless it be 
bounded with the Spirit of God. Put the case a man 
bHSieted for sin, (for which not to be disqui- 
eted is a sin) yet we may look too much, and too 
82 upon i ; for the soul fiath a double eye, one to 
bok to sin/another to lookup to God's mercy m 
Christ. Having two objects to look on, wemaysin 
in looking too much on the one, with neglect oi the 
other. 

Sect. II. 

SEEING then, that disquieting and dejection for 

sin £ necessary, How shall we know when it exceeds 

We There ? are three ways by which we may come to the 
knowledge of this. . - « 

1 When it hinders us from holy duties, or m the 
performance of them, by distraction, or otherwise $ 
522 they are given to carry us to that which is 
nlpasino- to God, and good to ourselves. 
P Grief Ts M when ktaketh off the soul to - 
i„g what it should, and so ind.sposeth us for the du- 
ties of our callings. Christ, upon the cross, was 
Seven to the utmost ; vet it did not take away his 
SSd concern for his mother. So the good fief, 
S~ the midst of his pangs laboured to gain his fellow 
to save his own soul, and to glorify Christ. It this 
he so in grief of body, which take away the free use 
of reasoned exercise of grace more than any other 
a rief then much more in grief from more remote 
Suses for, in the extremity of body, the sickness 
may be such, as all that we can perform to God is a 
Set submission, and a desire to be earned unto 
Christ by the prayers of others. We should so mind 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 4Q 



mir grief, as not to forget God's mercy, or our own 
duty. 

2. Our dejection for sin may be said to exceed 
measure when we forget the grounds of comfort, and 
suffer our mind to run only upon the present grie- 
vance : it is a sin to dwell on sin, and turmoil our 
thoughts about it, when we are called to thankful- 
ness. A physician, in good discretion, forbids a dish 
at sometimes to prevent the nourishment of some dis- 
ease, which another time he gives way unto. So we 
may and ought to abstain from too much feeding our 
corruptions in case of discouragement, which at other 
times is very necessary. It should be our wisdom, in 
such cases, to change the object, and labour to take 
off our minds, and give them to that which call more 
for them. Grief often presseth unseasonably upon 
us, when there is cause of joy, and when we are cal- 
led to rejoice 5 as Joab justly found fault with David 
for grieving too much, when God had given him the 
victory, and rid him and the state of a traitorous son. 
God hath made some days for joy j and joy is the 
proper work of those days : This is the day which the 
Lord hath made ; we will rejoice and be glad in it, 
Psa. cxviii. 24. Some persons, in a sick distemper, 
desire that which increaseth their sickness : so, some 
that are deeply cast down, desire a wakening ministry, 
and whatever may cast them down more ; whereas 
they should meditate upon comforts, and get some as- 
surance of God's love. Joy is the constant temper 
which the soul should be in 5 Rejoice evermore, saith 
the apostle, 1 Thess. v. 16. If a sink be stirred, we 
stir it not more, but go into a sweeter room. So we 
should think of that which is comfortable, and of 
such truths as may raise up the soul, and sweeten the 
spirit. 

3. Grief is too much, when it inclines the soul to 
any inconvenient courses : for, if it be looked to, it 
is an ill counsellor. It exceeds due bounds, when it 
either hurts the health of our bodies, or draws the 
soul, for to ease itself, to some unlawful liberty. 
When grief keeps such a noise in the soul, that it will 

D 



30 the soul's conflict with itself, 



mot hear what the messengers of God, or the still voice 
of the Spirit saith, as in combustions, loud cries are 
scarce heard : so, in such cases, the soul will neither 
hear itself, nor others. The fruit of this overmuch 
trouble of spirit, is increase of trouble. 

Sect. III. 

WE may here solve another question, What that 
sweet and holy temper is, the soul should be in, that it 
may neither be faulty in the defect, nor too much 
abound in grief and sorrow ? 

To this we may reply, by considering the follow- 
ing things. 1. The soul must be raised to a right grie£ 
2. The grief that is raised, though it be right, yet it 
must be bounded. 

Before we speak of raising grief in the godly, we 
must know, that there are some who are altogether 
strangers to any kind of spiritual grief, or trouble at 
all 5 such must consider, that the way to prevent ever- 
lasting trouble, is to desire to be troubled with a pre- 
venting trouble. Let those that are not in the way 
of grace think with themselves what cause they have, 
not to take a minute's rest while they are in that 
estate. For a man to be in debt both body and soul, 
subject every minute to be arrested and carried pri- 
soner to hell, and not be moved : for a man to have 
the wrath of God ready to be poured out upon him, 
and hell gape for him, nay, to carry a hell about him 
In his conscience, if it were awake, and to have all 
his comfort here hanging upon a weak thread of this 
life, ready to be cut and broken off every moment, 
and' to be cursed in all those blessings that he enjoys 5 
and yet not to be disquieted, but continually treasuring 
up wrath against the day of wrath, by running deeper 
into God's book : for a man to be thus, and not to be 
disquieted, is but the devil's peace, whilst the strong 
man holds possession. A burning ague is more hope- 
ful than a lethargy. 

The best service that can be done to such men, is 
to startle and rouse them 5 and so with violence to 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 51 

pull them out of the fire, as Jude speaks, ver. 23. or 
else they will another day curse that cruel mercy 
that lets them alone now. In all the jollity in this 
world, they are^ but as a book fairly bound, which, 
when opened, is full of nothing but tragedies. So 
when the book of their consciences shall be opened, 
there is nothing to be read but lamentations and woes. 
Such men were in a way of hope, if they had but 
so much apprehension of their estates, as to ask them- 
selves, What have I done ? If this be true, that 
there are such' fearful things prepared for sinners, why 
am I not cast down ? Why am I no more troubled 
and discouraged for my wicked courses ? Despair to 
such is the beginning of comfort • and trouble the be- 
ginning of peace. A storm is the way to a calm, and 
hell the way to heaven. 

But for raising a right grief in the soul of a holy 
man, two things are necessary. 

1. Look what is the state of the soul in itself, in 
what terms it is with God - } whether there be any 
sin on the file un repented of. If all be not well within 
m, then here is place for inward trouble, whereby the 
soul may afflict itself. 

God saw this grief so needful for his people, that 
he appointed certain days for afflicting them, Lev. 
xvi. 29. because it is fit, that sin contracted by joy, 
should be dissolved by grief and sin is so deeply in- 
vested into the soul, that a separation betwixt the 
soul and it cannot be wrought without much grief. 
When the soul hath smarted for sin, it sets then the 
right price upon reconciliation with God in Christ, 
and feeleth what a bitter thing sin is 3 and therefore it 
will be afraid to be too bold with it afterward: it also 
aweth the heart so, that it will not be so loose towards 
God as it was before ; and certainly that soul that hath 
felt the sweetness of keeping peace with God, cannot 
but take deeply to heart, that there should be any 
thing in us that should divide between us and the 
fountain of our comfort, that should stop the passage 
of our prayers, and the current of God's favours both 
towards ourselves and others 5 it is such an evil 

D 2 



52 THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 

as is the cause of all others, and damps all our 

comforts. • , . , 

2 We should look out of ourselves also 5 consider- 
ing 'whether for troubles at home or abroad, God 
calls not to mourning or troubling of ourselves ; gnet 
of compassion is as well required as a grief of con- 

tr 'iTi 1 s a dead member that is not sensible of the state 
of the body. Jeremiah, for fear he should not weep 
enough for the distressed estate of the church, desired 
of God that his eyes might be made a fountain 0/ 
tears Jer i* 1. A Christian, as he must not be 
prouu flesh, so neither must he be dead flesh : none 
more truly sensible either of sin or of misery (so far 
S misery y carries with it any sign of God's displeasure) 
.than a true Christian; which issues from the hie of 
.rrace which, where it is in any measure, is lively, 
fnd ^refcre sensible: for the Lord gives motion 
and senses for the preservation of life. As God s 
bowels are tender towards us, so his people have ten- 
der bowels towards him, his cause Ins people, and 
his church The fruit of this sensibleness, is earnest 
J ayer o God. As Melancthon said we 1, & ml m+ 
SS, nil orarem ; " If I cared for nothing, I would 

P ^rbtg S t'hus nused, must, as we said before, s 
be bounded and guided. On this we suggest the fol- 

^f^God^h framed the soul, and planted such 
„«&M*Mh in it as may answer all his dealing towards 
hf chudr n that w/en he enlargeth himself towards 
them then the soul should enlarge itself to h>m 
Sam- when he opens his hand, we ought to open 
our hearts ; when he shows any tokens of displeasure 
we should brieve; when he troubles us, we should 
Trouble and Vieve ourselves. As God any way d,s- 
coveSh himself, so the soul should be hi a suitable 
Seness. Then the soul is as it should be when 
Ft is ready to meet God at every turn, to joy when he 
calls ft! ?t, to mourn when he calls for thar , to labour 
to know God's mind in every thing. . 

2. God hath made the soul for a communion with 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 53 



himself, which communion is especially placed in the 
affections, which are the springs of all spiritual wor- 
ship. Then the affections are well ordered, when we 
are fit to have communion with God, to love, joy, 
trust, to delight in him above all things. The affec- 
tions are the inward rnovings of the soul, which then 
move best when they move us to God, not from him. 
They are the feet of the soul, whereby we walk with, 
and before God. When we have our affections at 
such command, that we can take them off from any 
thing in the world, at such times as we are to have 
more near communion with God in hearing, or 
prayer, &c. As Abraham, when he was to sacrifice, 
left whatsoever might hinder him at the bottom of the 
mount, Gen. xxii. 5. When we let our affections so 
far into the things of the world, as we cannot take 
them off when we are to deal with God, it is a sign of 
spiritual intemperance* It is said of the Israelites that 
they brought Egypt with them into the wilderness ; 
so, many bring the world in their hearts with them, 
when they come before God, 

3. But because our affections are never well ordered 
without judgment, as being to follow, not to lead 5 
it is an evidence that the soul is in a fit temper, when 
there is such a harmony in it, as that we judge of 
things as they are, and affect as we judge, and exe- 
cute as we affect. This harmony within breeds uni- 
formity and constancy in our resolutions, so that 
there is an even thread drawn through the whole 
course and tenor of our lives, when we are not off 
and on, up and down. It argues an ill state of body 
when it is very hot, or very cold ; or hot in one part, 
and cold in another: so, unevenness of spirit argues 
a distemper. A wise man's life is of one colour, like 
itself. The soul bred from heaven, so far as it is 
heavenly-minded, desires to be, like heaven, above 
storms uniform, constant ; not as things under the 
sun, which are always in changes, constant only in 
inconstancy. Affections are, as it were, the wind of 
the soul ; and then the soul is carried as it should be, 
when it is neither so becalmed, that it moves not when 
it should, nor yet tossed with tempests to move elisor- 



.54 THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH 1TSEL?. 

derly. When it is so well balanced, that it is neithe- 
lift up, nor cast down too much, but keepeth a steady 
course. Our affections must not rise to become un- 
ruly passions, for then as a river that •overflowed! the 
banks, they carry much slime and sod with them. 
Though affections be the wind of the soul, yet un- 
ruly passions are the storms of the soul, and will over- 
ton all, if they be not suppressed. The best as we 
see in David here if they do not steer their hearts aright, 
are in danger of sudden gusts. A Christian must ne- 
ther be a dead sea, nor a raging sea. 

4 Our affections are then in best temper, when they 
become so many graces of the Spirit $ as when love 
is turned to a love of God ; joy, to a delight in the 
best things ; fear, to a fear of offending him more 
than any creature ; sorrow, to a sorrow for sin, &c 

5 They are likewise in good temper, when they 
move us to all duties of love and mercy towards 
others ; when they are not shut, where they shoulo 
be open, nor open where they should be shut 

Yet there is one case wherein exceeding affection is 
not over exceeding ; as in an ecstasy of zeal upon a 
sudden apprehension of God's dishonour, and his 
cause trodden under foot. It is better in this case, 
S scarce to be our own men than to be . calm or 
nniet It is said of Christ and David, that their 
S s we e eaten up with holy zeal for God's house. 
In uch a case Moses, unparalleled for meekness, was 
turned into a holy rage. The greatness of the pro - 
locadon, the excellency of the object, and the weigh 
of the occasion, bears out the soul, not only without 
blame but with great praise* in such seeming d s- 
^ mpers It is thS gW of a Christian to .be .earned 
with full sail, and, as it were, with a spring tide ot 
affect.on. So long as the stream of affection runneth 
in th. due channel, and if there be great occasions 
or get motions, then it is fit the affections should 
rise higher, as to burn with zeal ; to be sick of love 
Can t n 5 to be more vile for the Lord, as David 
i Sam vi 12. to be counted out of our wits, with 
ItZh to further the cause of Christ and the good 
of souls. 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF, 55 s 



Thus we may see the life of a poor Christian in this 
world is a life of trouble. 1 . He is in great danger 
if he be not troubled at all. 2. When he is troubled, 
he is in danger to be over troubled. 3. When he 
hath brought his soul to turn again, he is subject to 
new troubles. Between this ebbing and flowing there 
is very little quiet. Now, because this cannot be 
done without a great measure of God's Spirit, our 
help is to make use of that promise of giving the 
Holy Ghost to them that ask it, John xi. 13. To teach 
us when, how long, and how much to grieve 5 and 
when, and how long, and how much to rejoice : the 
Spirit must teach the heart this y who, as he moved 
upon the waters before the creation, so he must move 
upon the waters of our souls, for we have not the 
command of our own hearts. Every natural man is 
carried away with, his flesh and humours, upon which 
the devil rides, and carries him whether he list 5 he 
hath no better counsellors than flesh and blood, and 
Satan counselling with them. But a godly man is not 
a slave to his carnal affections, but, as David here, 
labours to bring into captivity the first motions of sin 
in his heart. 



CHAP. IX; 

Of the Soul's Disquiets, God's Dealings s . and Power to 
contain ourselves in Order, 



Olser.l^ E may moreover see, That the soul hath 
disquiets proper to itself, besides those griefs of sympathy 
that arise from the body ; for Here the soul complains 
of the soul itself, as when it is out of the body, it 
hath torments and joys, of its own. And if these 
troubles of the soul be not well cured, then by way 
of fellowship and redundance they will affect the out- 
ward man, and so the whole man shall be inwraped in 
misery. 

Obser, 2. From whence we may further see, That 



56 THE SOULS CONFLICT WITH ITSELF, 



God, when he will humble a man, needs not fetch 
forces from without ; if he let but our own hearts 
loose, \ve shall have trouble and work enough, though 
we were as holy as David. God did not only exercise 
him with a rebellious son, out of his own loins, but 
with rebellious risings out of his own heart. If there 
were no enemy in the world, nor devil in hell, we 
carry that within us, that if it be let loose, will trouble 
us more than all the world besides. Oh ! that the 
proud creature should exalt himself against God, and 
run into a voluntary course of provoking him, who 
cannot only raise the humours of our bodies against 
us, but the passions of our minds also to torment us ! 
Therefore it is the best wisdom not to provoke the 
oreat God 3 for, are we stronger than he, (1 Cor. x. 
22 ) that can raise ourselves ? and work wonders not 
oniy in the great world, but also in the little world, 
our souls and bodies, when he pleases ? # 

Obser. 3. We hence likewise see, A necessity of 
having something in the soul above itself ; it must be 
partaker of a diviner, nature than itself otherwise, 
when the most refined part of our souls, the very spi- 
rit of our minds is out of frame, what shall bring it in 
acrain ? Therefore we must conceive in a godly man, a 
double self, one which must be denied, the other 
which must denv 5 one that breeds all disquiet, and 
another that stilleth what the other hath raised. The 
way to still the soul, as it is under our corrupt self, is 
not to parley with it, and divide government for peace 
sake, as if we should gratify the flesh in something, 
to redeem liberty to the spirit in other things ; for we 
shall find the flesh too encroaching. We must strive 
against it, not with subtlety and discourse, so much, as 
with peremptory violence silence it and vex it : an 
enemy that parleys, will yield at length. Grace is no- 
thing else but that blessed power, whereby as spi- 
ritual, we gain upon ourselves as carnal. Holy love is 
that which we gain off self-love ; and so joy and de- 
fight, &c. Grace labours to win ground off the old 
man, until at length it be all in all. Indeed, we are 
never ourselves perfectly, till we have wholly put oft 
ourselves. Nothing should be at a greater distance to 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF, 



us, than -ourselves. This is the reason why carnal 
men, who have nothing above themselves but their 
corrupt self, sink in great troubles, have nothing 
within to uphold them, whereas a good man is wiser 
than himself, holier than himself, stronger than him- 
self 3 there is something in him more than a man. 
There be evils that the spirit of man alone out of the 
goodness of nature cannot bear, but the spirit of a man ; 
assisted with a higher spirit, will support and carry 
him through. It is a good trial of a man's condition 
to know what he esteems to be himself. A godly 
man counts the inner man, the sanctified part to be 
himself, whereby he stands in relation to Christ and 
a better life. Another man esteems his contentment 
in the world, the satisfaction of his carnal desires, the 
respect he finds from men by reason of his parts, or 
something without him, that he is master of ; this he 
counts himself, and by this he values himself, and to 
this he makes his best thoughts and endeavours ser- 
viceable 5 and of crosses in these things he is most 
sensible, that he thinks himself undone, if he sees not 
a present issue out of them. 

That which most troubles a good man in all trou- 
bles,, is himself, so far as he is unsubdued $ he is 
more disquieted with himself than with all troubles 
out of himself : when he hath gotten the better once 
of himself, whatever fails from without, is light j 
where the spirit is enlarged, it cares not much for 
outward bondage, where the spirit is lightsome, it 
cares not much for outward darkness 5 where the spi- 
rit is settled, it cares not much for outward changes ; 
where the spirit is one with itself, it can bear outward 
breaches ; where the spirit is sound, it can bear out- 
ward sickness. Nothing can be very ill with us, 
when all is well within. This is the comfort of a holy 
man, that though lie be troubled with himself, yet, 
by reason of the spirit in him, which is his better 
self, he works out, by degrees, whatever is con- 
trary. As spring-water, being clear of itself, works 
itself clean, though it be troubled with something cast 
in as the sea will endure no poisonous thing, but 
D 5 



58 THE SOUL S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF, 



casts it upon the shore. But a carnal man is like a 
spring corrupted, that cannot work itself clear, be- 
cause it is wholly tainted : his eye and light is dark- 
ness, and therefore n© wonder if he seeth nothing. 
Sin lieth upon his understanding, and hinders the 
knowledge of itself 5 it lies close upon the will, and 
hinders the striving upon itself. 

True self, that is worth the owning, is when a man 
is taken into a higher conditon, and made one with 
Christ, and esteems neither of himself nor others, as 
happy for any thing according to the fleshy 1. He is 
under the law and government of the Spirit 5 and so 
far as he is himself, works according to that principle. 
2. He labours more and more to be transformed into 
the likeness of Christ, in whom he esteemeth that he 
hath his best being. 3. He esteems of all things that 
befall him, to be good or ill, as they further or hinder 
his best condition. If all be well for that, he counts 
himself well, whatsoever else befalls him. 

Another man when he doth any thing that is good, 
acts not his own part ; but a godly man when he 
doth good, is in his proper element : what another 
man doth for by ends and reasons, that he doth from 
a new nature; which, if there were no law to com- 
pel, yet would move hira to that which is pleasing to 
Christ. If he be drawn aside by passion, or temp- 
tation, that he judgeth not to be himself, but taketh 
a holy revenge on "himself for it, as being redeemed 
and taken out from himself 5 he thinks himself no 
debtor, nor to owe any service to his corrupt self. 
That which he plots, and projects, and works for is, 
that Christ may rule every where, and especially in 
himself for he is not his own but Christ's 5 and there- 
fore desire's to be more and more emptied of himself, 
that Christ might be all in all in him. 

Tims we see, what great use there is of dealing 
" with ourselves, for the better composing and settling 
of our souls. Which, though it be a course without 
glory and ostentation in the world, as causing a man 
to retire inwardly into his own breast, having no other 
witness but God' and himself ; and though it be like- 
wise irksome to the flesh, as calling the soul home to 



THE SOUL*S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF, 59 



itself, being; desirous naturally to wander abroad, and 
be a stranger at home : yet it is a course both good in 
itself, and makes the soul good. 

By this means the judgment is'exercised and recti- 
fied, the will and affections ordered, the whole man 
put into an holy frame fit for every good action. By 
this the tree is made good, and the fruit cannot bat 
be answerable ; by this the soul itself is set in tune, 
whence there is pleasant harmony in the whole con- 
versation. Without this, we may do that which is 
outwardly good to others, but we can never be good 
ourselves. The first justice begins within, when 
there is a due subjection of all the powers of the soul 
to the spirit, as sanctified and guided by God's Spi- 
rit : when justice and order is first established in the 
soul, it will appear from thence in all our dealings. 
He that is at peace with himself, will be peaceable to 
others ; peaceable in his family, peaceable in the 
church, peaceable in the state. The soul of a wicked 
man is in perpetual sedition : being always troubled 
in itself, it is no wonder it be troublesome to others. 
Unity in ourselves is before union with others, 

To conclude this first part, concerning intercourse 
with ourselves, and to live the life of men, and of 
Christians, which is to understand our ways : as we 
desire to live comfortably, and not to be accessary of 
yielding to that sorrow which causeth death : as we 
desire to answer God and ourselves, when we are to 
give an account of the inward tumults of our souls : 
as we desire to be vessels prepared for every good 
work, and to have strength to undergo any cross : as 
we desire to have healthy souls, and to keep a Sabbath 
within ourselves : as we desire not only to do good^ 
but to be good in ourselves : so let us labour to quiet 
our souls, and often ask a reason of ourselves, IVhy 
we should not be quiet ? 



00 THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF 



CHAP. X. 



Means not to be overcharged with Sorrow, 

JL O help us farther herein, besides that which hath 
been formerly spoken, we should attend to the fol« 
lowing particulars. 

1. We must take heed of building an ungrounded 
confidence of happiness for time to come : for this, 
when changes come, makes us, 1. Unacquainted 
with them; 2. Takes away expectation of them 5 
and, 3. Preparation for them. When any thing is 
strange and sudden, and lights upon us unfurnished 
and unfenced, it must needs put our spirits out of 
frame. It. is good, therefore, to make every kind of 
trouble familiar to us, in our thoughts at least 5 ana 
this will bre-k the force of them. It is good to fence 
our souls beforehand against every assault, as men use 
to keep out the sea, by raising banks ; and if a breach 
be made to repair it presently. 

We had need to maintain a strong garrison of holy 
reasons against the assaults of strong passions : we may 
hope for the best, but fear the worst, and prepare to 
bear whatsoever comes. We say that a set diet is 
dangerous, because variety of occasions will force us 
upon breaking of it : so, in this world of changes, we 
cannot resolve upon any certain condition of life j for, 
upon alteration, the mind is out of frame. We can- 
nbt say this or that trouble shall befall 3 yet we may, 
by the help of the Spirit, say, Nothing that doth 
befall shall make me do 'that which is unworthy of a 
Christian. . . 

That which others make easy by suffering, that a 
wiseman maketh easy by thinking of before hand. If 
we expect the worst, when it comes, it is no more 
than we thought of. If better befalls us, then it is 
the sweeter to us, the ]ess we expect. Our Saviour 
fore^els the worst ; In the world you shall have tribu- 
lation, John xvi. 33. therefore look for it; but then 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF, 6l 



he will not leave us. Satan deludes with many pro- 
mises : but when the contraiy fails out, he leaves his 
followers in their distresses. We desire peace and 
rest, but we seek it not in its own place ; There is a 
rest for God's people, Heb. iv. 9. but that is not here, 
nor yet 3 but it remains for .them : The rest from 
their labours, but that is after they are dead in the 
Lord, Rev. xiv. 13 There is no sound rest till then. 
Yet this caution must be remembered, that we shape 
not in our fancies such troubles as are never likely to 
fall out. It comes either from weakness or guiltiness 
to fear shadows. We shall not need to make crosses y 
they will, as we use to say of foul weather, come be- 
fore they be sent for. How many evils do people fear, 
from which they have no farther hurt, than what is 
bred only by their causeless fears. Nor yet if they 
be probable, must we think them so, as to be alto- 
gether so affected, as if undoubtedly they would come, 
for so we give certain strength to an uncertain cross, 
and usurp upon God, by anticipating that which may 
never come to pass. It was rashness in David to say, 
/ shall one day perish by the hand of Saul, 1 Sam. 
xxvii. 1. 

If they be such troubles, as will certainly come to 
pass, as parting with friends and contentments, at 
least, by death 5 then, 

(1 .) Think of them so as not to be much dismayed, 
but furnish thy heart with strength beforehand, that 
they may fall the lighter. 

(2.) Think of them so, as not to give up the buck- 
lers to passion, and lie open as a fair mark for any un- 
comfortable accident to strike to the heart 5 nor yet 
so think of them as to despise them, but to consider 
God's meaning in them, and how to take good by 
them. 

(3.) Think of the things we enjoy, so as to mode- 
rate our enjoying of them, by considering there must 
be a parting, and therefore how we shall be able to 
bear it when it comes. 

2. If we desire not to be overcharged with sorrow, 
when that which we fear is fallen upon us ; we must 
then beforehand look that our love to any thing in this 



§2 THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 

world, shoot not so far as that, when the time of se- 
vering cometh, we part with so much of our hearts by 
that rent. Those that love too much, will always 
grieve too much. It is the greatness of our affections 
which causeth the sharpness of our afflictions. He that 
cannot abound without pride and high-mindedness, will 
not want without too much dejectedness. Love is 
planted for such things as can return love, and make 
us better by loving them, wherein we shall satisfy our 
love to the full. It is pity so sweet an affection should 
be lost : so sorrow is for sin, and for other things as 
they make sin the more bitter to us. The life of a 
Christian should be a meditation how to unloose his 
affections from inferior things : he will easily die that 
is dead before in affection. But this will never be, 
unless the soul seeing something better than all things 
in the world, upon which it may bestow itself. In 
that measure our arfections die in their excessive mo- 
tions to things below, as they take up with the love 
and admiration of the best things. He that is much in 
heaven in his thoughts, is free with being tossed with 
tempests here below ; the top of these mountains that 
are above the middle region, are so quiet, as that the 
lightest things, as ashes, lie still and are not moved. 
The way to mortify earthly members, that bestir them- 
selves in us, is to mind things above, Col. hi. 1, 5. 
The mare the ways of wisdom lead us on high, the 
more we avoid the snares beiow. 

In the uncertainty of all events here, labour to frame 
that contentment in and from our own souls, which 
the things themselves will not yield : frame peace, by 
freeing our hearts from too much fear : and riches, 
by freeing our hearts from covetous desires. Frame 
a sufficiency out of contentedness : if the soul itself 
be out of tune, outward things will do no more good 
than a fair shoe to a gouty foot. 

And seek not ourselves abroad out of ourselves in 
the conceits of other men. A man shall never live 
quietly, that hath not learned to set light by of 
others. He that is little in his own eyes, will not be 
troubled to be little in the eyes of others. Men that 
set too high a value upon themselves, when others 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF, 63 



will not come to their price, are discontent. Those 
whose condition is above their worth, and their pride 
above their condition, shall never want sorrow 5 yet 
we must maintain our authority, and the image of 
God in our places^ for that is God's and not ours 5 
and we ought so to carry ourselves as we approve our- 
selves to their consciences, though we have not their 
good words 3 Let none despise thy youth, saith St. 
Paul to Timothy ; that is, Walk so before them as 
they shall have no cause. It is not in our own power 
what other men think or speak 3 but it is in our power, 
by God's grace, to live so, that none can think ill of 
us, but by slandering, and none believe ill but by too 
much credulity. 

3. When any thing seizeth upon us, we must take 
heed we mingle not our own passions with it ; we 
must neither bring sin to, nor mingle sin with the 
suffering : for that will trouble the spirit more than 
the trouble itself. We are more to deal with our own 
hearts, than with the trouble itself. We are not hurt 
till our souls be hurt. God. will not have it in the 
power of any creature to hurt our souls, but by our 
own treason against ourselves. 

Therefore we should have our hearts in continual 
jealousy, for they are ready to deceive the best. In 
sudden encounters, some sin doth many times disco- 
ver itself, the seed whereof lieth hid in our natures, 
which we think ourselves very free from. Who would 
have thought the seeds of murmuring had lurked in 
the meek nature of Moses ? That the seeds of mur- 
der had lurked in the pitiful heart of David ? 2 Sam. 
xii. 9. That the seeds of denial of Christ had lain in 
the zealous affection of Peter towards Christ ? Matt, 
xxvi. 72. If passions break out from us, which we 
are not naturally inclined unto, and over which, by 
grace, we have got a great conquest ; how watchful 
need we be over ourselves in those things, which, by 
temper, custom, and company, we are carried unto ? 
And what cause have we to fear continually that we 
are worse than we take ourselves to be ? 

There are many unruly passions lie \pd in us, until 



64 THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 



they be drawn out by something that meeteth with 
them : either, 

(1.) By way of opposition 5 as when the truth of 
God, spiritually unfolded, meets with some darling 
beloved corruption, it svvelie-h oigger. The force of 
gunpowder is not known autil some spark light on it ; 
and oftentimes the stillest natures, if crossed, discover 
the deepest corruptions. Sometimes it is drawn out 
by dealing with the opposite spirits of other men. 
Oftentimes retired men know not what lies hid in 
themselves. 

(2.) Sometimes by crosses, as many people whilst 
the freshness and vigour of their spirits lasteth, and 
a full supply of all things continueth, seem to be of 
a pleasing and calm disposition 5 but afterwards when 
changes come, like Job's wife, they are discovered. 
Then, that which in nature is unsubdued, appears 
openly. 

L (3.) Temptations likewise have a searching power 
to bring that to light in us which was hidden before. 
Satan hath been a winnower, and a sifter of old, Luke 
xxii. 3. He thought if Job had been bu: touched 
in his bodv, he would have cursed God to his face, 
Job i. 

Some men, out of policy, conceal their passion, un- 
til they see some advantage to let it out; as Esau 
smothered his hatred until his fathers death. Wnen 
the restraint is taken away, men, as we say, show 
themselves in their pure naturals ; unloose a tiger or 
a lion, and you know what he is. 

4 Further, let us see more every day into the state 
of our own souls : what a shame is it that so nimble 
and swift a spirit as the soul is, that can mount up to 
heaven, and from thence come down into the eart;i 
in an instant, should, while it looks over all other 
things, look over itself ; that it should be skilful in 
the story almost of all the times and places, and yet 
ignorant or the story ot itself that we should know 
what is done in the court and country, and beyond 
the seas, and be ignorant >f what is done at home 
in our own hearts - } that we should live known to 
others^ and yet die unknown to ourselves,- that we 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 



65 



should be able to give account of any thing better than 
of ourselves to ourselves ? This is the cause why we 
stand in our own light ; why we think better of our- 
selves than others, and better than is cause. This 
is that which hindereth all reformation ; for, how 
can we reform that which we are not willing to see ? 
and so we loose one of the surest evidences of our sin- 
cerity, which is a willingness to search into our hearts, 
and to be searched by others. A sincere heart will 
offer itself to trial. 

And therefore let us sift our actions, and our pas- 
sions, and see what is flesh in them, and what is spi- 
rit , and so separate the precious from the vile. It is 
good likewise to consider what sin we were guilty of 
before, which moved God to give us up to excess in 
any passion, and wherein we have grieved the Spirit. 
Passion will be more moderate, when thus it knows 
it must come to the trial and censure. This course 
will either make us weary of passion, or else passion 
will make us weary of this strict course. We shall 
find it the safest way to give our hearts no rest, till 
we have wrought on them to purpose, and gotten the 
mastery over them. . 

When the soul is inured to this dealing with itself, 
itwilllearntheski.il to command ; and passions will 
be soon commanded, as being inured to be examined 
and checked : as we see dogs, and such like domes- 
tical creatures, that will not regard a stranger, yet 
will be quiet in brawls presently, by the voice of 
their master, to which they are accustomed. This 
fits us for service. Unbroken spirits are like unbroken 
horses, unfit for any use, until they be thoroughly 
subdued. 

5. And it were best to prevent, as much as in us 
lieth, the very first risings, before the soul be over- 
cast : Passions are but little motions at the first, but 
grow as rivers do, greater and greater, the farther 
they are carried from the spring, The first risings 
are the more so to be looked unto, because there is 
most danger in them. Sin, Ike ruse, or a canker, 
will, by little and little, eat out all the grace of the 
soul There is no staying when we are once aown 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 



the hill, till we come to the bottom. No sin but what 
is easier kept out, than driven out. If we cannot 
prevent wicked thoughts, yet we may deny them 
lodging in our hearts. It is cur giving willing enter- 
tainment to sinful motions, that increase guilt and hin~ 
dereth our peace. It is that which moveth God % to 
give us up to a further degree of evil affections. 
Therefore, what we are afraid to do before men, we 
should be afraid to think before God. It would much 
further our peace to keep our judgments clear, as be- 
ing the eye of the soul, whereby we may discern in 
every action and passion, what is good and what is- 
evil : as likewise to preserve tenderness of heart, that 
may check us at the first, and not brook the least evil 
being discovered. When the heart begins once to be 
kindled, it is easier to smother the smoke of passion, 
which otherwise will fume up unto the head, and 
gather into so thick a cloud, as we shall lose the sight 
of ourselves, and what is best to be done. And there- 
fore David here labours to take up his heart at the 
first; his care was to crush the very first insurrec- 
tions of his soul, before they came to break forth into 
open rebellion : storms, we know, rise put of little 
gusts. Little risings neglected, cover the soul before 
we are aware. If we would check these risings, and 
stifle them in their birth, they would not break out 
afterwards to the reproach of religion, to the scandal- 
of the weak, to the offence of the strong, to the grief 
of God's Spirit in us, to the disturbance of our own 
spirits in doing good, and to the disheartening of us 
in troubling of our inward peace, and thereby weaken 
our confidence and assurance. Let us therefore stop 
beginnings as much as may be ; and so soon as they 
begin to rise, let us begin to examine what raised 
them, and whither they are about to carry us. The 
way to be still, is to examine ourselves first ; and then 
censure what stands not with reason. As David did, 
when he had given way to unbefitting thoughts of 
God's proviaence, So foolish, s >ith he, ivas I, and as 
a beast before thee, Psa. lxxiii. 22. 

Look then especially to these sinful stirrings, when 
fhcu art to deal with God. I am- to have communion 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. &7 

with a God of peace : what then do turbulent thoughts 
and affections in my heart ? I am to deal with a pa- 
tient God, why should I chensh revengeful thoughts . 
Abraham drove away the birds { r0 \^\ sa ^{. 
Gen. xv. 1 1 . Troublesome thoughts, like birds, will 
come before they be sent for; but they should find 
entertainment accordingly. mat uL„ 

6 In all our grievances, let us look to soniething 
that may comfort us, as well as discourage : look to 
that we enjoy, as well as to that we want. As in 
prosperity God mingles some crosses to dint us ; sp m 
all crosses there is something to comfort us As there 
is a vanity lies hid in the best worldly good, so there 
is a blessing lies hid in the worst worldly evil. God 
usually maketh up that with some advantage in ano- 
ther kind, wherein we are Inferior to others. Otheis 
are in a greater place, so they are in greater danger. 
Others be richer, so their cares and snares be greater ; 
the poor in the world may be richer m faith than they, 
James ii. 5. The soul can better digest and master a 
low estate than a prosperous, and is under some abase- 
ment. It is in a less distance from God. Others are 
not so afflicted as we, then they have less experience 
of God's gracious power than we. Others have more 
healthy bodies, but souls less weaned from the world. 
We would not change conditions with them, so as to 
have their spirits with their condition. For one haff 
of our lives, the meanest are as happy and free from 
cares, as the greatest monarch : that is, whilst both 
sleep • and usually the sleep of the one, is sweeter 
than 'the sleep of the other. What is all that the 
earth can afford us, if God deny health ? and this a 
man of the meanest condition may enjoy. that 
wherein one man differs from another, is but title, and 
but for a little time ; death levelleth all. 

There is scarce any man, but the good he receives 
from God is more than the ill he feels, if our unthank- 
ful hearts would suffer us to think so. Is not our 
health more than our sickness ? do we not enjoy more 
than we want ; I mean, of the things that are neces- 
sary 5 Are not our good days more than our evil. 
But we would go to heaven upon roses ; and usually 



68 the soul's conflict with itself. 



one cross is more taken to heart, than a hundred 
blessings. So unkindly we deal with God. Is God 
indebted to us ? Doth he owe us any thing ? Those 
that deserve nothing, should be content with any 
thing. 

We should look to others as good as ourselves, as 
well as to ourselves, and then we shall see it is not our 
own case only. Who are we that we should look for 
an exempted condition from those troubles which 
God's dearest children are addicted unto ? 

Thus when we are surprised contrary to our looking 
for or liking, we should study rather how to exer- 
cise some grace, than give way to any passion. 
Think, now is a time to exercise our patience, our 
wisdom, and other graces. By this means we shall 
turn that to our greatest advantage, which Satan in- 
tendeth greatest hurt to us by. Thus we shall not 
only master every condition, but make it serviceable 
to our good. If nature teach bees, not only to gather 
honey out of sweet flowers, but out of bitter : shall 
not grace teach us to draw even out of the bitterest 
sondition, something to better our souls ? We learn 
to tame all creatures, even the wildest, that we may 
bring them to our use ; and why should we give way 
to our own unruly passions ? 

7. It were good to have in our eye, the beauty of 
a well ordered soul ; and we should think that nothing 
in this world is of sufficient worth to put us out of 
frame. The sanctified soul should be like the sun in 
this, which, though it work upon all these inferior 
bodies, and cherish them by light and influence 3 yet 
it is not moved nor wrought upon by them again, but 
keepeth its own lustre and distance : so, our spirits 
being of a heavenly breed, should rule other things 
beneath them, and not be ruled by them. It is a 
holy state of soul to be under the power of nothing 
beneath itself : Are we stirred ? Then consider, Is 
this matter worth the loss of my quiet ? What we 
esteem, that we love j what we love, we labour for : 
and therefore let us esteem highly of a clear calm 
temper, whereby we both enjoy our God, and our- 
selves, and know how to rank all things else. It is 



'THE SOUL*S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 6§ 

against nature for inferior things to rule that, which 
the wise Disposer of all things hath set above them. 
We owe the flesh neither suit nor service, we are no 
debtors to it. 

The more we set before the soul that quiet estate in 
heaven, which the souls of perfect men now enjoy, 
and itself ere long shall enjoy there, the more it will 
be in love with it, and endeavour to attain it. And 
because the soul never worketh better, than when it 
is raised up by some strong and sweet affection $ let Us 
look upon our nature, as it is in Christ, in whom it 
is pure, sweet, calm, meek, every way lovely. This 
sight is a changing sight, love is an affection of imi- 
tation, we affect a likeness to him we love. Let us 
learn of Christ to be hum tie and meek, and then we 
shall find rest to our souls, Matt, xi. 2Q. The setting 
of an excellent idea and platform before us, will raise 
and draw up our souls higher, and make us sensible 
of the least moving of spirit, that shall be contrary to 
that, the attainment whereof we have in our desires. 
He will hardly attain to mean things, that sets not 
before him higher perfection. Naturally we love to 
see symmetry and proportion, even in a dead picture, 
and are much taken with some curious piece. But 
why should we not rather labour to keep the affec- 
tions of the soul in due proportion ? Seeing a meek 
and well ordered soul is not only lovely in the sight of 
men and angels, but is much set by, by the great God 
himself. But now the greatest care of those that set 
high price upon themselves is, how to compose their 
outward carriage in some graceful manner, never stu- 
dying how to compose their spirits 5 and rather how to 
cover the deformity of their passions than to cure them. 
Whence it is that the foulest inward vices are co- 
vered with the fairest vizards 5 and to make this the 
worse, all this is counted the best breeding. 

The Hebrews placed all their happiness in peace 5 
and when they would comprise much in one word, 
they would wish peace. This was that the angels 
brought news of from heaven, at the birth of Christ. 
Now, peace riseth out of quietness and order ; and 
God, who is the God of peace , is the God of order first s 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF, 



1 Cor xiv 33. What is health, bat when all the 
members are in due posture, and all the humours ina 
3 quiet i Whence ariseth the beauty of the world, 
bu from that comely order wherein every creature is 
placed? the more glorious and excellent creatures 
? bove, and the less below ? So it is in the soul ; , the 
bes constitution of it is when, by the Spirit of God, 
U so ordered, as that all be in objection to the law 
of the mind. There must be an uniformity m the lu es 
of Chilians. What a sight were it for the feet to be 
where the head is, and the earth to be where the heaven 
it o see all tunned upside down 1 And to a sp.ntud 
eye it seems as great a deformity, to see the soul to be 
under the rule of sinful passions. 

Comeliness riseth out of the fit proport.on of divers 
Jm5 s to make up one body, when every member 
hath a beauty in itself, and is likewise well suited to 
other pans a fair face and a crooked body, comely 
unpe rparts; and the lower parts uncomely, suit not 
well because comeliness stands in oneness, in a fit 
^•eementof many parts to one: when there ,s the 
Head of a man, and the body of a beast, it is a mon- 

ter n nature : and is it not as monstrous to have an 
understanding head, and a fierce untamed heart i It 
c^uno nut -raise up a holy indignation m us against 
these rlings, when we consider how unbeseeming 

hey are : what do these base passions m a heart dedi- 
cated to God, and given up to the government of his 
Srit' What an indignity is it for pnnces to go on 
foot and servants on°horseback ? for those to ru e, 
whose place is to be ruled ? as being good attendants 
but bad guides. It was Ham's curse to be a servant of 

' er 8. a Thi'smustbestrengthenedvyith a strong self-denial, 
without which there can be no good done in rel,g,on. 

There are two things that most trouble us m the way 
to heaven; corruption within us, aruHhe cross wift- 
out us • that which is within us must be denied, that 
which is without us maybe endured : otherw.se we 
cannot follow him by whom we look to be saved. The 
/ate, the entrance of religion is narrow , we must 
ftnp ourselves of ourselves before we can enter } if we 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 

bring any ruling lust to religion, it will prove a bitter 
root of some gross sin, or of apostacy and final des- 
peration. 

Those who sought the praise of men more than the 
praise of God, John xii. 43. could not believe, because 
that lust of ambition would, when it should be crossed, 
draw them away. The young man thought it better 
for Christ to lose a disciple, than that he should lose 
his possession, and therefore went away as he came, 
Matt. xix. 22. The third ground came to nothing, 
because the .plough had not gone deep enough to break 
up the roots, whereby their hearts were fastened lo 
earthly contentments, Matt. xiii. 22. This self-denial 
we must carry with us through all the parts of religion, 
both in our active and passive obedience ; for, in obe- 
dience, there must be a subjection to a superior : but 
corrupt self, neither is subject, nor can be, Rom. viii. 
7. it will have an oar in every thing, and maketh every 
thing, yea, religion serviceable to itself. It is the idol 
of the world, or rather the god that is set highest of all 
in the soul ; and so God himself is made but an idol. 
It is hard to deny a friend who is another self, harder 
to deny a wife, that lieth in the bosom ; but most hard 
to deny ourselves. Nothing so near us as ourselves to 
ourselves, and yet nothing so far off Nothing so 
dear, and yet nothing so malicious and troublesome. 
Hypocrites would part with the jruit of their body, 
sooner than the sin of their souls, Mic. vi. 7. 

CHAP. XI. 

Signs of Victory over ourselves, and of a subdued Spirit, 

BlJT another question falls under consideration, 
How shall we know, whether we have, by grace, got 
the victory over ourselves, or not ? 

We shall answer to this inquiry in the following 
particulars. & 

1. If in good actions we stand not so much upon 
the credit of the actions, as upon the good that is 
done. What we do as unto God, we look for ac- 



?2 THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 

ceptance from God. It was Jonas's fault to stand 
rnore upon his own reputation, than the glory ot 
God's mercy. It is a prevailing sign, w hen though 
there be no outward encouragements; nay, thougti 
there be discouragements, yet we can rest in the com- 
fort of a good intention: for usually inward comfort i 
a note of inward sincerity. Jehu must be seen, or 
pUp all is lost, 2 Kings, x. l6. 

2 It is a -ood evidence of some prevailing, when, 
upon religious-grounds, we can cross ourselves , int hose 
things unto which our hearts stand most affected 
this & shevveth we reserve God his own place m our 

he 3 tS When being privy to our own inclination and 
temper, we have gotten such a supply ot sp.nt, as 
that' the grace which is contrary to our temper appears 
in V As often we see, none more patient, than 
those' that are naturally inclined to ^emperancy^f 
passion, because natural proneness maketh them Jea- 
lous over themselves. Some, out of fear of being 
overmuch moved, are not moved so much as they 
should be : this iealousy stirreth us up to a careful use 
of a. helps. Where grace is helped by nature there 
a little -race will go far ; but where there as much un- 
towarduess of nature, there much grace is not so well 
deemed Sour wines need much sweetening : ana 
that is most spiritual which hath least help from nature, 
and is won by prayer and pains. 

" 4 . When 15 are no, partial when the thmgs con- 
cern ourselves. David could allow himself another 
man's wife, and judgeth another man wordiy ofd ea* 
■for taking away a poor man's lamb, 2 bam. xu. *. 
Men u u°al y favour themselves too much, when they 
are chancellors in their own cause, and measure all 
Sin-s by then private interest. He hath taken a good 
degree ?n Chriffs school, that hath learned to lorget 

hi Tttt er a e 'good sign, when upon discoyery of self- 
seek'in- we can gain upon our corruption ; and are 
will g to search and to be searched, what our inch- 
nation is and where it faileth. That which we fa- 
vour we are tender of, it must not be touched. A 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 73 

sood heart, when any corruption is discovered by a 
searching ministry, is affected as if it had found out a 
deadly enemy. Touchiness and passion argues guilt. 

6. This is a sign of a mans victory over himself, 
when he loves health of body and peace of mind, with 
a supply of all needful things, chiefly for this end, that 
he may with more freedom of spirit serve God m doing 
good to others. So soon as grace entereth into the 
heart, it frameth the heart to be in some measure 
public ; and thinks it hath not its end, in the bare en- 
joyino- of any thing, until it can improve what it hath 
for a farther end. Thus to seek ourselves is to deny 
ourselves 5 and thus to deny ourselves, is truly to seek 
ourselves. It is no self-seeking, when we care for no 
more than that, without which we cannot comfortably 
serve God. When the soul can say unto God, Lord, 
as thou wouldest have me- to serve thee in my place, 
so grant me such a measure of health and strength, 
wherein I may serve thee. : 

But if it should be here objected, What it God 
thinks it good, that I shall serve him in weakness, in 
want, and by suffering ? 

Then, if that should be the case, ft is a comforta- 
ble sign of gaining over our own wills, when we can 
yield ourselves to be disposed of by God, as knowing 
best what is good for us. There is no condition but 
therein we may exercise some grace, and honour God 
in some measure. Yet because some enlargement of 
condition is ordinarily that estate wherein we are best 
able to do good in 5 we may, in the use of means, 
desire it, and upon that, resign up ourselves wholly 
unto God, and make his will our will, without excep- 
tion or reservation, and care for nothing more than 
we can have with his leave and love. Thi* Job exer- 
cised his heart unto ; whereupon, in that great change 
of condition, he sinned not ; that is, fell not into the 
sins incident to that dejected and miserable state • into 
sins of rebellion and discontent. He carried his 
crosses comely, with that stayedness and resignedness, 
which became a holy man. 

7. It is further a clear evidence of a spirit subdued, 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF* 



when we will discover the truth of our affection to- 
wards God and his people, though with censure of 
others David was content to endure thAcensure of 
neglecting the state and majesty of a king, out of joy 
for settl ; n^ the ark. Nehemiah could not dissemble 
his grief for the ruins of the church, though in the 
king's presence, Neh. ii 3. It is a comfortable sign 
of the wasting of self-love, when we can be at a point 
what becomes of ourselves, so it go well with the 
cause of God and the church. 

Now, the way to prevail still more over ourselves, 
(as when we are to do or suffer any thing, or with- 
stand any person in a good cause, &c.) is not to think 
that we are to deal with men, yea, or with devils, so 
much as with ourselves. The saints resisted their 
enemies to death, by resisting their corruptions first : 
if we once get the victory over ourselves, all other 
things are conquered to our ease. All the hurt Satan 
and the world do us, is by correspondency with our- 
selves. AH things are so far under us, as we are 
above ourselves. 

Jbr the farther subduing ourselves, it is / good to 
follow sin to the hold and castle, which is corrupt na- 
ture : the streams will lead us to the spring head. 
Indeed the most apparent discovery of sin is in the 
outward carriage : we see it in the fruit before in the 
root ; as we see grace in the expression before in the 
affection : but yet we shall never hate sin thoroughly, 
until we consider it in the poisoned root from whence 
it ariseth. 

That which least troubles a natural man, doth most 
of all grieve a true Christian : a natural man is some- 
times troubled with the fruit of his corruption, and 
the consequence of guilt and punishment that attend 
it; but a true-hearted Christian, with corruption it- 
self - this drives him to complain with St. Paul, 0 
wretched man that 1 am ! who shall deliver me, not 
from the members only, but /row this body oj death, / 
which is as noisome to my soul, as a dead carrion is 
to my senses; which, together with the members, is 
marvellously nimble and active, and hath no cays, or 
hours, cr minutes of rest; always laying about it to 



rug soul's conflict with itself. 7 8. 



enlarge itself, and like spring water, which the more 
it issueth out, the more it may. 

It is a good way, upon any particular breach of 
our inward peace, presently to have recourse to that 
which breeds and foments all our disquiet. Lord, 
what do I complain of this my unruly passion ? I 
carry a nature about me subject to break out conti- 
nually upon any occason : Lord, strike at the root, 
and dry up the fountain in me. Thus David doth 
arise from the guilt of those two foul sins, of murder 
and adultery, to the sin of his nature, the root itself, 
Psa. li. As if he should say, Lord, it is not these 
actual sins that defile me only but if I look back to 
my first conception, I was tainted in the spring of my 
nature. 

This is that here which put David's soul so much 
out of frame : for, from whence was this contradic- 
tion ? and whence this contradiction so unwearied, 
in making head again and again against the checks of 
the Spirit in him ? Whence was it that corruption 
would not be said Nay ? Whence were these sudden 
and unlooked for objections of the flesh, but from 
the remainder of old Adam in him ? which, like Mi- 
chol within us, is either scoffing at the ways of God $ 
or, as Job's wife, fretting and thwarting the motions 
of God's Spirit in us ; which prevails the more, be- 
cause it is homebred m us : whereas holy motions are 
strangers to most of our souls. Corruption is loath 
that a new incomer should take so much upon him as 
to cotttroul : as the Sodomites thought much that Lot 
being a stranger should intermeddle amongst them, 
Gen. xix. 9. If <jod once leave us, as he did He- 
zekiah, to try what is in ib, what should he find 
but darkness, rebellion, unruliness, doubtings, &c. 
in the be-t. of us ? This flesh or ours hath principles 
against all God's principles, and laws against ah God's 
laws, and reasons against reasons. On ! if we could 
but one w hole hour seriously think of the impure issue 
ot our hearts, it would bring us down upon our 
knefs in humiliation before God. But v. e can never, 
whilst we live, so thoroughly as we should, see into 
e2 



f@ . THE SOULS CONFLICT WITH ITSELF, 

the depth of our deceitful hearts, nor yet be humbled 
enough for what we see; for, though we speak of it, 
arid confess it, yet we are not so sharpened against 
this corrupt flesh of ours, as we should. How should 
it humble us, that the seeds of the vilest sin, even of 
the sin against the Holy Ghost, is in us ? And no 
thanks to us that they break not out. It should hum- 
ble us to hear of any great enormous sin in another 
man, considering what our own nature would proceed 
unto', if it were not restrained. We may see our own 
nature in them, as face answering face : if God should 
take his Spirit from us, there is enough m us to de- 
file a whole world : and although we be ingrafted 
into Christ, yet we carry about us a relish of the old 
stock still. David was a man of a good natural con- 
stitution ; and for grace, a man after God's own heart, 
and had got the better of himself in a good measure ; 
and had learned to cover himself in matter of revenge, 
as in Saul's case, 1 Sam. xxiv. 6. Yet now we see 
the vessel is shaken a little, and the dregs appear that 
were in the bottom before. Alas ! we know not our 
own hearts, till we plough with God's heifer, till his 
- Spirit bring a light into our souls. It is good to con^ 
sider how this impure spring breaks out diversly, in the 
divers conditions we are in ; there is no state of life, 
nor no action we undertake, wherein it will not put 
forth itself to defile us: it is so full of poison that it 
taints whatsoever we do, both our natures, condi- 
tions, and actions. In a prosperous condition, like 
David, Psa. xxx. 6. we think we shall never he moved. 
Under the cross the soul is troubled and drawn to 
murmur, and to be sullen, and sink down m discou- 
ragement, to be in a heat almost to blasphemy, to be 
weary of our callings, and to quarrel with every 
thing in our way. See the folly and fury of mos 
men g in this, for us silly worms to contradict the grea 
Sod. And to whose peril is it ? is it not our own 
Let us gather ourselves with all our wit and strength 
together. Alas ! what can we do but provoke , h.m, 
and get more stripes? We may be sure ^ will deal 
with us, as we deal with our ch.ldren; if they be 
Sward and unquiet for lesser matters, we will make 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF, 77 

them cry and be sullen for something. Refractory 
stubborn horses are the more spurred, and yet shake 
not off the rider. 



CHAP, XIL 

Of Original Righteousness, Natural Corruption, 
Satan's joining with it, and our Duty thereupon. 

Sect. I. 
Of Original Righteousness, 

But here mark a plot of spiritual treason \ Satan 
joining with our corruption, setteth the wit on work 
to persuade the soul, that this inward rebellion is not 
so bad, because it is natural to us, as a condition of 
nature, rising out of the first principles in our crea- 
tion, and was curbed in with the bridle of original 
righteousness y which they would have accessary and 
supernatural; and therefore alleged, that concupis- 
cence is less odious, and more excusable in us, and so 
- no great danger of yielding and betraying our souls 
unto it 5 and by that means persuading us, that that 
which is our deadliest enemy, hath no harm in it, nor 
meaneth any to us.* 

This rebellion of lusts against the understanding, 
is not natural, as our nature came out of God's hands 
at the first : for this being evil, and the cause of evil, 
could not come from God, who is good, and the cause 
of all good, and nothing but good ; who, upon the 
creation of all things pronounced them good 3 and 

* Many of the most dangerous opinions of popery, as justifi- 
cation by works, state of perfection, merit, tatisf action, supe- 
rerogation, &c. spring from hence, that they have slight con- 
ceits of concupisence, as a condition of nature ; yet some of 
ihem, as Michael Bayns, professor at Lovane, &c. are sound 
in the point. 



78 THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 



after the creation of man pronounced of ail things 
that they were very good. Now, that which is ill* 
and very ill, cannot be seated at the same time in that 
which is good, and very good. God created man at 
the first upright, he of himself sought out many inven- 
tions. As God beautified the heavens with stars, and 
decked the earth with variety of plants, herbs, and 
flowers; so he adorned man, his prime creature here 
below, with all those endowments that were fit for 
a happy condition 5 and original righteousness was fit 
and due to an original and happy condition. There- 
fore, as the angels were created with all angelical 
perfections, and as our bodies were created in an ab- 
solute temper of all the humours 3 so the soul was 
created in that sweet harmony, wherein there was nc 
discord, as an instrument in tune„ fit to be moved to 
any duty 5 as a clean neat glass the soul representee 
God's image and holiness. 



Sect. II. 

Of Natural Corruption. 

THEREFORE, it is so far, that concupiscence 
should be natural, that the contrary to it, namely, 
righteousness, wherein Adam was created, was natu- 
ral to him : though it were planted in mans nature 
by God, and so, in regard of the cause of it, was su- 
pernatural 1 yet, because it was agreeable to that 
happy condition, without which he could not subsist, 
in that respect it was natural, and should have been 
derived, if he had stood, together with his nature, 
to his posterity. As heat in the air, though it hath 
its first impression from heat in the sun, yet is natu- 
ral, because it agreeth to the nature of that element : 
though man be compounded of a spiritual and earthly 
substance, yet it is natural that the baser earthly part 
should be subject to the superior; because where 
there are different degrees of worthiness, it is fit there 
should be a subordination of the meaner to that which 
is in order higher. The body naturally desires food 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF, 79 



and bodily contentment ; yet, in a man endued with 
reason, this desire is governed so as it becomes not 
inordinate. A beast sins not in its appetite, because 
it hath no power above to order it. A man that lives 
in a solitary place, far remote from company, may 
take his liberty to live as it pleaseth him ; but if he 
comes to live under the government of some well- 
ordered city, then he is bound to submit to the laws 
and customs of that city, under penalty, upon any 
breach of order : so the risings of the soul, howso- 
ever in other creatures they are not blamable, hav- 
ing no commander in themselves, above them ; yet, 
in man, they are to be ordered by reason and judg- 
ment. 

Therefore, it caamot be, that concupiscence should 
be natural, in regard of the state of creation : it was 
Adam's sin which had many sins in the womb of it, 
that brought this disorder upon the soul. Adam's 
person first corrupted our nature) and nature being 
corrupted, corrupts our persons ; and our persons 
being corrupted, increase the corruption of our na- 
ture, by custom of sinning, which is another nature 
in us : as a stream, the farther it runs from the 
spring head, the more it enlargeth its channels, by 
the running of lesser rivers into it, until it empties 
itself into the sea: so corruption, till it be over- 
powered by grace, swelleth bigger and bigger ; so that 
this disorder was not natural, in regard of the first 
creation, yet since the fall it i<« become natural ; even 
as we call that which i> common to the whole kind, 
and propagated from parents to their children, to be 
natural: so that it is both natural, and against na- 
ture j natural now, but against nature in its first per- 
fection. 

And because corruption is natural to us now ; there- 
fore, 

1. We delight in it : whence it comes to pass, that 
our souls are carried along in an easy current, to the 
committing of any sin, without opposition. 

2. Because it is natural, therefore it is unwearied 
and restless j as light bodies are not wearied in their 
motion upwards, nor a stream in its running to the 



80 THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 



sea, because it is natural : hence it is that the old man 
is never tired in the works of the flesh, nor ever drawn 
dry. When men cannot act sin, yet they will love 
sin, and act it over again by pleasing thoughts of it > 
and, by sinful speculation, suck out the delight of 
sin : and are grieved, not for their sin, but because 
they want strength and opportunity to commit it : if 
sin would not leave them, they would never leave 
sin. This corruption of our nature is not wrought 
in us by reason and persuasions, for then it might 
be satisfied with reasons 5 but it is in us by way of 
natural inclination, as iron is carried to the loadstone : 
and till our natures be altered, no reason will long 
prevail ; but our sinful dispositions, as a stream stopt 
for a little while, will break out with greater vio- 
lence. 

3. Being natural, it needs no help, as the earth 
needs no tillage to bring forth weeds. When our 
corrupt nature is carried contrary to that which is 
good, it is carried of itself. As when Satan lies or 
murders, it comes from his own cursed nature : and 
though Satan joineth with our corrupt nature, yet 
the proneness to sin, and the consent unto it, is of. 
ourselves. 



Sect. III. 
Satan joins with our Corruption, 

BUT it may possibly now be inquired, How shall 
we know, that Satan joins with our nature, in those 
actions unto which nature itself is prone ? 

To this it may be replied, That Satan then adds 
his help, when our nature is carried more eagerly 
than ordinary to sin. As when a stream runs vio- 
lently, we may know that there is not only tide, but 
wind that carrieth it : so, in sudden and violent re- 
bellions, it is Satan that pusheth on nature left to 
itself of God. A stone falls downward by its own 
weight; but if it falls very swiftly, we know it is 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. SI 

thrown down by an outward mover. Though there 
were no devil, yet our corrupt nature would act Sa- 
tan's part against itself it would have a supply of 
wickedness, as a serpent doth poison* from itself ; it 
hath a spring to feed it. 

But that man, whilst he lives here, is not altoge- 
ther excluded from hope of happiness, and hath a 
nature not so large and capable of sin as Satan's 5 
whereupon he is not so obstinate in hating God, and 
working mischief as he, &c. Otherwise, there is for 
kind the same cursed disposition, and malice of nature 
against true goodness in man, which is in the devils 
and damned spirits themselves. 

It is no mitigation of sin, to plead it is natural, 
for natural diseases, as leprosies, that are derived from 
parents, are most dangerous, and least curable : nei- 
ther is this any excuse 5 for, because it is natural, so 
it is voluntary, not orjy in Adam, in whose loins we 
were, and therefore sinned ; but likewise in regard of 
ourselves, who are so far from stopping the course of 
sin, either in ourselves or others, that we feed and 
strengthen it, or at least give more way to it, and 
provide less against it than we should, until we come 
under the government of grace 5 and, by that means, 
we justify Adam/s sin, and that corrupt estate that 
followeth upon it, and shew, that if we had been in 
Adam's condition ourselves, we should have made 
that ill choice which he made, And though this 
corruption of our nature be necessary to us, yet it is 
no violent necessity from an outward cause, but a ne- 
cessity that we willingly pull upon ourselves, and 
therefore ought the more to humble us : for the more 
necessarily we sin, the more voluntarily 5 and the 
more voluntarily, the more necessarily ; the will put- 
ting itself voluntarily into these fetters of sin. Neces- 
sity is no plea, when the will is the immediate cause 
of any action. Men's hearts tell them they might rule 
their desires if they would ; for, tell a man of any dish 
that he liketh, that there is poison in it, and he will 
not meddle with it : so, tell him that death is in that 
sin which he is about to commit, and he will abstain, 
E 5 



g2 THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 

if he believe it to be so ; if he believe it not, it is his 
voluntary unbelief and atheism. 

If the will would use that sovereignty it should, and 
could at the first, we should be together treed from 
this necessity. Men are not damned because they 
cannot do be ter, but because they will do no better : 
if here were no will, there would be no hell; for men 
S submit to the rule and law ot sin ; they ptead 
for it, and like it so well, as they hate nothing so 
much as that which any way withstandeth those law- 

le ThoIe'that think it their happiness to do what they 
will that they might be free, cross their own de- 
S| for this is thl way to make them most perfect 
; ave . When our will is the next immed.ate cause of 
in and our consciences bear witness to u f that it is 
"so I then conscience is ready to take God s part m 
ccusin. ourselves. Our consciences tell us to our 
faces that we might do more than we do to hinder s,n ; 
. and that when we sin, it is not through weakness., 
but out of the wickedness of our nature. 

Our consciences tell us, that we s,n not only w,, 
lingly ; but often with delight, (so far forth as we are 
nof subdued by grace, or awed by something above 
K and that we" esteem any restraint to be our mi- 
Sy And where by grace the will is strengthened, 
so that it yields nor a full consent ; yet a gracious 
sou if humbled even for the sudden risings ot cor- 
ruotion that prevent deliberation. As here David, 
Sough he withstood the risings of his heart, yet he 
was troubled, that he bad so vile a heart that would 
rise no against God ; and therefore takes tt down. 
Who is there that hath not cause to be humbled, no 
Sly for his corruption, but that he doth not resg 
it with that diligence, which his heart tells him he 

m 'we ? cannot have too deep apprehensions of this 
breeding sin, the mother and nurse of all abomina- 
tions • for, the more we consider the height, the 
depth the breadth, and length of it, the more shall 
we be humbled in.outselves, and magnify the height, 
*e depth, the breadth, and the length cf God s mercy 



THE SOUL'5 CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 83 

in Christ, Eph. in. 18. The favourers of nature are 
always the enemies of grace : this which some think 
and speak so weakly and faintly of, is a worse enemy 
to us than the devil himself; a more near, a more 
restless, a more traiterous enemy: for, by intelli- 
gence with it, the devil doth us all the hurt he doth ; 
and by it maintains forts in us against goodness. This 
is that which either by discouragement, or contra- 
riety, hinders us from good ; or ...else, by deadness, 
tediousness, distractions^ or corrupt aims, hinders us 
in doing good : this putteth us on to evil, and abu- 
seth what is good in us, or from us, to cover or co- 
lour sin 5 and furnishes us with reasons either to 
maintain what is evil, or shifts to translate it upon 
false causes, or fences to ; arm us against whatsoever 
shall oppose us in our wicked ways : though it nei- 
ther can nor will be good, yet it would be thought 
to be so by others, and enforces a conceit upon it- 
self that it is good. It imprisons and keeps down 
all light that may discover it, both within itself, and 
without itself, if it lie in its power. It flatters itself, 
and would have all the world flatter it too ; which, if 
it doth not, it frets ; especially if it be once disco- 
vered and crossed: hence comes all the plotting 
against goodness, that sin may reign without controuL 
Is it not a lamentable case, that man, who, out of 
the very principles of nature cannot but desire happi- 
ness and abhor misery, yet should be in love with 
eternal misery in the causes of it, and abhor happiness 
in the ways that lead unto it ? This showeth us 
what a wonderful deordination and disorder is brought 
upon man's nature 5 for every other creature is natu- 
rally carried to that which is helpful unto it, and shun- 
neth that which is any way hurtful and offensive 5 
only man is in love with his own bane, and fights for 
those lusts that fight against his souL 



84 the soul's conflict with itself. 



Sect. IV, 

Of the Christian's Duty in respect of Natural 
Corruption. 

OUR duty, with respect to natural corruption, may 
be viewed in a sixfold respect. 

1. We ought to labour to see this sinful disposition 
of ours; not only as it is discovered in the scriptures, 
but as it discovers itself in our hearts: this must be. 
done by the light and teaching of God's Spirit, who 
knows us, and all the turnings, windings, and by- 
ways of our souls, better than we know ourselves. 
We must see it as the most odious and loathsome 
thine; in the world, making our nature contrary to 
God's pure nature 3 and of all other duties making us 
most indisposed to spiritual duties, wherein we should 
have nearest communion with God, because it seizeth 
on the very spirits of our minds. 

2 We should look upon it as worse than any ot 
those filthy streams that come from it ; nay, than all 
the impure issues of our lives together. There is 
more fire in the furnace than in the sparkles ; there 
is more poison in the root than in all the branches : 
for if the streams were stopt, the branches cut off, 
and the sparkles quenched, yet there would be a per- 
petual supply. As in good things, the cause is better 
than the effect : so, in ill things the cause is worse. 
Every fruit should make this poisonous root more hate- 
ful to us 3 and the root should make us hate the 
fruit more, as coming from so bad a root as being 
worse in the cause, than in itself : the affection is 
worse than the action, which may be forced or coun- 
terfeited We cry out upon particular sins, but are 
not humbled as we should be for our impure disposi- 
tions The not bewailing our corrupt nature is at- 
tended with manifold disadvantages : without a sight 
of which there can be no. sound repentance arising from 
the deep and thorough consideration of sin :— no de- 
sire to be new moulded; without which we can never 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 



85 



enter into so holy a place as heaven :— no self-dental 
till we see the best things in us are enmity against 
God :— no high prizing of Christ, without whom our 
natures, our persons, and our actions are abominable 
in God's sight : — nor any solid peace settled in the 
soul j which peace ariseth not from the ignorance of 
our corruption, or compounding with it, but from 
sight and hatred of it, and strength against it. 

3. Consider the spirituality and large extent of the 
law of God, together with the curse annexed, which 
forbids not only particular sins, but all the kinds, de- 
grees, occasions, and furtherances of sin in the whole 
breadth and depth of it, and our very nature itself, 
so far as it is corrupted : for want of which, we see 
many alive without the lew, Rom. vii. 2. jovial and 
merry from ignorance of their misery, who, if they 
did but once see their natures and lives in that glass, 
it would take away that liveliness and courage from 
them, and make them vile in their own eyes. Men 
usually look themselves in the laws of the state 
wherein they live ; and think themselves safe enough, 
if they are free from the danger of penal statutes : this 
glass discovers only foul spots, gross scandals, and 
breakings out. Or else they judge of themselves by 
parts of nature, or common grace, or by outward 
conformity to religion 5 or else by tFat light they have 
to. guide themselves in the affairs of this life, by their 
fair and civil carriage, &c. and thereupon live and die 
without any sense of the power of godliness, which 
begins in the right knowledge of ourselves, and ends 
in the right knowledge of God. The spirituality and 
purity of the law should teach us to consider the purity 
and holiness of God ; the bringing of our souls into 
whose presence will make us to abhor ourselves, with 
Job, in dust and ashes, Job xl. 6. Contraries are best 
seen by setting one near the other : whilst we look 
only on ourselves, and upon others amongst whom we 
live, we think ourselves to be somebody. It is an 
evidence of some sincerity wrought in the soul, not to 
shun that light which may let us see the foul corners 
of our hearts and lives. 

4. The consideration of this likewise should enforce 



8(3 THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WIT I ITSELF, 

us to carry a double guard over our souls. David was 
very watchful, yet we see here he was surpr^ed un- 
awares by the sullen rebellion of his heart : we should 
observe our hearts as governors do rebels and mutinous 
persons. Observation awes the heart. We see to 
what an excess sin groweth in those that deny 
themselves nothing, nor will be denied any thing; 
who, if thev may do what they will, will do what 
they may ; who turn liberty into licence, and make 
all their abilities and advantages to do good,, con- 
tributary to the commands of overruling and unruly 
lusts- 
Were it not that God partly by his power sup- 
pressed, and partly by grace subdueth the disorders 
of man's nature for the good of society, and the ga- 
thering of a church upon earth, corruption would 
swell to that excess, that it would overturn and con- 
found all things together with itself. Although there 
be a common corruption that cleaves to the nature of 
all men in general, as men, as distrust in God, self- 
love, a carnal a>d worldly disposition, See, yet God 
so ordereth it, that in some there is an ebb and de- 
crease, in others (God justly leaving them to them- 
selves) a flow and increase of sinfulness, even beyond 
the bounds of ordinary corruption, whereby they be- 
come worse than themselves, either like beasts in sen- 
suality, or like devils in spiritual wickedness ; though 
ail be blind in spiritual things, yet some are more 
blinded: though all be hardhearted, yet some are 
more hardened : though ail be corrupt in evil courses, 
yet some are more corrupted: and sink ^deeper into 
rebellion than others. 

Sometimes God suffers this corruption to break out 
in civil men; yea, even in his own children, that 
they may know themselves the better; and because 
sometimes corruption is weakened not only by smo- 
thering, but by having a vent ; whereupon grace stirs 
up in the soul a fresh "hatred and revenge against it 5 
and lets us see a necessity of having a whole Christ, 
not only to partion sin, but to purge and cleanse our 
sinful natures. — But yet that which is ill in itself, must 
apt be done for the good that comes by it by accident ; 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF, 87 



this must be a comfort after our surprisals, not an en- 
couragement before. 

5. And because the divine nature, wrought in us 
by divine truth, together with the Spirit of God, is 
the only counterpoison against all sin, and whatso- 
ever is contrary to God in us ; therefore we should 
labour that the truth of God may be grafted in our 
hearts, that so all the powers of our souls may relish 
of it, that there may be a sweet garment betwixt the 
soul, and all things that are spiritual, that truth being 
ingrafted in our hearts, we may be ingrafted into 
Christ, and grow up in him, and put him on more 
and more, and be changed into his likeness. No- 
thing in heaven and earth will work out our corrup- 
tion, and change our dispositions, but the Spirit of 
Christ, clothing divine truths with a divine power to 
this purpose. 

6. When corruption rises, pray it down, as St. Paul 
did, 2 Cor. x'u. 8. And, to strengthen thy prayer, 
claim the promise of the new covenant, that God 
would circumcise our hearts, and wash us with clean 
water 5 that he would write his law on our hearts, 
and give us his holy Spirit when we beg it, Ezek 0 
xxxv i. 25, 27. And look upon Christ as a public 
fountain open for Judah and Jerusalem to wash in, 
Zech. xiii. 1 . 

Herein consists our comfort, 1. That Christ hath 
all fulness for us ; and that our nature is perfect in 
him. 2. That Christ in our nature hath satisfied 
divine justice, not only for the sin of our lives, but 
the sin of our nature. 3. That he will never give 
over until, by his Spirit, he hath made our nature 
holy and pure as his own 5 till he hath taken away not 
only the reign, but the very life and being of sin out 
of our hearts. 4. That to this end he leaves his Spirit 
and truth in the church to the end of the world, that 
the seed of the Spirit may subdue the seed of the ser- 
pent in us ; and that the Spirit may be a never-failing 
spring of all holy thoughts, desires, and endeavours 
in us^ and to dry up the contrary issue and spring of 
corrupt nature. 

Christians must remember^ when they are much , 



S THE SOUl/s CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 

annoyed with their corruptions, that it is not their 
particular case alone, but the condition of all God's 
people, lest they be discouraged by looking on the 
ugly deformed visage of old Adam : which afFright- 
eth some so far, that it makes them think, no man's 
nature is so vile as their's ; which were well, if it 
tended to humiliation only 5 but Satan often abuseth 
it towards discouragement and desperation. Many, 
out of a misconceit, think that corruption is greatest 
when they feel it most ; whereas, indeed, the less we 
see it and lament it, the more it is. Sighs and groans 
of the soul are like the pores of the body, out of 
which, in diseased persons, sick humours break forth, 
and so become less. The more we see and grieve for 
pride, which is an immediate issue of our corrupted 
nature, the less it is, because we see it by a contrary 
grace : the more sight the more hatred ; the more 
hatred of sin, the more love of grace 5 and the more 
love the more life, which the more lively it is, the 
more it is sensible of the contrary : upon every disco- 
very and conflict corruption loses some ground, and 
grace gains upon it. 



CHAP. XJIL 

Of Imagination, Sin of it, and Remedies for it. 
Sect. I. 

Sinfulness in the Imagination the xause of much 
disquiet. 

AmONGST all the faculties of the soul, most of 
the disquiet and unnecessary trouble of our lives arises 
from the vanity, and ill government of that power 
of the soul, which we call imagination and opinion, 
bordering between the senses and our understanding 5 
which is nothing else but a shallow apprehension of 
good or evil taken from the senses. Now, Because 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. &$ 



outward good or evil things agree or disagree to the 
senses 5 and the life of sense is in us before the use 01 
reason ; and the delights of sense are present, and 
pleasing, and suitable to our natures : thereupon the 
imagination setteth a great price upon sensible good 
things ; and the judgment itself since the fall, until it 
hath a higher light and strength, yieldeth to our ima- 
gination : hence it comes to pass that the best things, 
if they be attended with sensible inconveniencies, as 
want, disgrace in the world, and such like, are mis- 
judged with evil things ; and the very worst things, 
if they be attended with respect in the world, and 
sensible contentments, are imagined to be the greatest 
good : which appears not so much in men's words 
(because they are ashamed to discover their hidden 
folly and atheism) but the lives of people speak as 
much, in that particular choice which they make. 
Many there are" who think it not only a vain, but a 
dangerous thing to serve God, and a base thing to be 
awed with religious respects, they count the ways 
that God's people take no better than madness 3 and 
that course which God takes in bringing men to hea- 
ven by a plain publishing of heavenly truths, to be 
nothing but foolishness ; and those people that regard 
it, are esteemed (as the Pharisees esteemed them that 
heard Christ) ignorant, base, and despicable persons : 
hence arise all those false prejudices against the ways 
of holiness, as they mentioned in the Acts were shy 
in entertaining the truth, because it was a way every 
where spoken against, Acts xxviii. 22. The doctrine 
of the cross hath always the cross following it, which 
imagination counteth the most odious and bitter thing 
in the world. 

This imagination of ours is become the seat of va- 
nity, and thereupon of vexation to us, because it ap- 
prehends a greater happiness in outward good things 
than indeed there is, and a greater misery in outward 
evil things than indeed there is 5 and when experience 
shows us that good in those things which we imagine 
to be, but contrarily, we find much evil in them which 
we never expected ; hereupon the soul cannot but be 
troubled. The life of many men, and those not the 



go the soul's conflict with itself. 



meanest, is almost nothing else but a fancy : that 
which chiefly sets their wits a work, and takes up 
most of their time, is how to please their own imagi- 
nation, which setteth up an excellency within itself, 
in comparison of which it c^piseth all true excellency, 
and those things that are of most necessary conse- 
quence indeed. Hence springs ambition, and the 
vein of being great in the world : hence comes an im- 
measurable desire of abounding in those things which 
the world esteems highly of; there in us naturally a 
competition and desire of being equal or above others, 
in that which is generally thought to make us happy 
and esteemed amongst men : if we be not the only 
men, yet we will be some body in the world ; some- 
thing we will have to be highly esteemed for, wherein 
if we be crossed, we count it the greater misery that 
can befal us. 

And which is worse, a corrupt desire of being great 
in the opinion of others, creeps into the prolession of 
religion, if we live in those places wherein it brings 
credit or gain ; men will FFcritice their very lives for 
vain-glory. It i- an evidence a man lives more to the 
opinion and reputation of others, than to conscience, 
when his grief is more for being disappointed of that 
approbation which he expects from men, than for his 
miscarriage towards God. It marrs all in religion, 
when we" go about heavenly affections and seek not 
Christ in Christ, but the world. What is popery 
but an artificial frame of man's brain, to please men's 
imaginations by outward state and pomp of ceremo- 
nies, like that golden image of Nebuchadnezzar, 
wherein he pleaded himself so, that to have unifor- 
mity in worshipping the same, he compelled all under 
pain of death to fall down before it, Dan. ii ; . 6 This 
makes superstitious persons always cruel, because su- 
perstitious devices are the brats of our own imagina- 
tion, which we strive for more than for the purity of 
God's worship. Hence it is Lkewise that superstitions 
persons are restless, as the woman of Samaria, in 
their own spirits, as having no bottom, but fancy in- 
stead of faith. 



e soul's conflict with itself, gt 



Sect. II. 



How Sinful Imaginations work upon the Soul, 

NOW the reason why imagination works so upon 
the soul, is, because it stirs up the affections answer- 
able to the good or ill which it apprehends, and our 
affections stir the humours of the body, so that often- 
times both our souls and bodies are troubled hereby. 

Things work upon the soul in this order. 1. home 
object is presented. 2. Then it is apprehended by 
imagination as good and pleasing, or as evil and hmtful. 
3. If good, the desire is carried to it with delight ; if 
evil, it is rejected with distaste : and so our affections 
are stirred up suitable to our apprehension ot the ob- 
ject. 4. Affections stir up the spirits. 5. The spirit 
raise the humours, and so the whole man becomes 
moved, and oftentimes distempered : this falleth out 
by reason of the sympathy between the soul and body, 
whereby what offendeth one, redoundeth to the hurt 
of the other. „ 

And we see conceited troubles have the same effect 
upon us, as true. Jacob was as much troubled with the 
imagination of his son's death, as he had been really 
dead : imagination, though it be an empty windy thing, 
yet it hath real effects. Superstitious persons are as 
much troubled for neglecting any voluntary service of 
man's invention, as if they had offended against the 
direct commandment of God : thus superstition breeds 
false fears, and false fear brings true vexation : it trans- 
forms God to an idol, imagining him to be pleased with 
whatsoever pleases ourselves, when as we take it ill 
that those who are under us should take direction trom 
themselves, and not from us, in that which may con- 
tentus. Sperstition is very busy, but all in vam ; In vain 
they worship me, saith our Lord, Matt. xv. <). And 
how can it choose but vex a id disquiet men, when 
they shall take a great deal of pains in vain, and which 
is worse, to displease most in that wherein they think 
to please most. God blasteth all devised service with 
one demand, Whorequired these things at your hands X 



§2 THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF*. 

Isa. i. 12. It were better for us to ask ourselves this 
question beforehand, Who required this ? Why do we 
trouble ourselves about that which we shall have no 
thanks for? We should not bring down to our imagi- 
nations, but raise our imaginations up to God. 

Now, imagination hurteth us, 1. By false represen- 
tations. 2. By preventing reason, and so usurping a 
censure of things, before our judgments try them 5 
whereas the office of imagination is to minister matter 
to our understanding to work upon, and not to lead it, 
much less mislead it in any thing. 3. By forging 
matter, out of itself without ground 5 the imaginary 
grievances of our lives are more than the real. 4. As 
it is an ill instrument of the understanding to devise 
vanity and mischief. 

Sect. III. 

Remedies against hurtful Imaginations. 

WE shall now propose some remedies for curing this 
hurtful malady in us. 

1. Labour to bring these risings of our souls into 
the obedience of God's truth and Spirit ; for imagina- 
tion of itself, if ungoverned, is a wild and raging 
thing, 2 Cor. x, 5. It wrongs not only the frame of 
God's work in us, setting the baser part of a man 
above the higher, but it wrongs likewise the work of 
God in the creatures, and every thing else, for if 
shapes things as itself pleaseth 5 it maketh evil good, 
if it pleaseth the senses ; and good evil, if it be dan- 
gerous and distasteful to the outward man 5 which 
cannot but breed an unquiet and unsettled soul. As 
if it were a god, it can tell good and evil at its plea- 
sure, it sets up and pulls down the price of what it 
listeth. By reason of the distemper of imagination, 
the life of many is little else but a dream : many good 
men are in a long dream of misery, and many bad men 
in a long dream of happiness, till the time of awaking 
come, and all because they are too much led by appear- 
ances ; and as in a dream men are deluded with false 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. Q3 

joy 3 and false fears ; so here, which cannot but breed 
an "unquiet and unsettled soul. Therefore it is neces- 
sary that God, by his word and Spirit, should erect a 
government in our hearts to captivate and order this 
licentious faculty. 

2. It is likewise good to present real things to the 
soul, as the true riches, and true misery of a Christian 
the true honour and dishonour, true beauty and defor- 
mity, the true nobleness and debasement of the soul : 
whatever is in the world, are but shadows of things in 
comparison of those true realities which religion af- 
fords 3 and why should we vex ourselves about a vain 
shadow ? PsaL xxxix. 6. 

The Holy Ghost, to prevent further mischief by 
these outward things, gives a dangerous report of them, 
calling them vanity, unrighteous mammon, uncertain 
riches, thorns, yea, nothing, Luke xv. ]g. Prov. xxxiih 
5. because, though they be not so in themselves, yet, 
our "imagination over-valuing them, they prove so to us 
upon trial : now knowledge that is brought to us by 
trial is often dear bought ; and therefore God will have 
us prevent this by a right conceit of things beforehand, 
lest trusting to vanity, we vanish ourselves $ and trust- 
ing to nothing, we become nothing ourselves ; and 
worse, become worse than nothing. 

3. Oppose serious consideration against vain imagi- 
nation ; and because our imagination is prone to raise 
false objects, and thereby false conceits and discourses 
in us : the best way herein is to propound true objects 
for the mind to work upon 5 as, 1. To consider the 
greatness and goodness of the almighty God, and his 
love to us in Christ. 2. The joys of heaven, and the 
torments of hell. 3. The last and strict day of account. 
4. The vanity of earthly things. 5. The uncertainty 
of our lives, &c. From the meditation of these truths, 
the soul will be prepared to have right conceits of 
things, and to discourse upon true grounds of them 5 
and think with itself, that if these things be so indeed, 
then J must frame myself suitable to these principles : 
hence arise true affections in the soul, true fear of God, 
true love and desire after the best things, &c. The 
way to expel wind out of our bodies, is to take some 



g4 THE soul's conflict with itself. 

wholesome nourishment ; and the way to expel windy 
fancies from the soul, is to feed upon serious truths. 

4. Moreover, to the well ordering of this unruly 
faculty, it is necessary that our nature itself should be 
changed ; for, as men are, so they imagine ; as the 
treasure of the heart is, such is that which comes from 
it, Matt. xii. 35. An evil heart cannot think well. 
Before the heart be changed, cur judgment is depraved 
in regard of our last end ; we seek our happiness where 
it is not to be found: Wickedness proceeds from the 
wicked, as the proverb is, 1 Sam. xxiv. 13. If we 
had as large and as quick apprehensions as Satan him- 
self, yet if the relish of our will and affections be not 
changed, they will set the imagination a work, to de- 
vise satisfaction to themselves For, there is a mutual 
working and reflux betwixt the will and the imagina- 
tion : the imagination stirs up the will ; and as the will 
is affected, so imagination worketh. 

When the law of God, by the Spirit, is so written 
in our hearts, that the law and our hearts become 
agreeable one to the other, then the soul is inclined 
and made pliable to every good thought : when the 
heart is once taught of God to love, it is the nature 
of this sweet affections as the apostle saith, to think 
no evil, either of God or man, 1 Cor. xhi 5. and not 
only so , but it carries the bent of the whole soul with 
it to good, so that we love God not only with all our 
heart, but with all our wind, Matt. xii. 2/. that is 
both with our understanding and imagination. Love 
is an affection full of inventions, and sets the wit a 
work 10 devise good things; therefore our chief care 
should be, that our hearts should be circumcised and 
purified so, as .hey may be filled with the love of 
God : and then we shall find this duty not only easy 
but delightful unto us. The prophei heahd the u-aters 
by casting salt into the spring, % Kings, 20; so the. 
seasoning of the spring of our actions seasons a 1. And, 
indeed, what can be expected from man whilst he is 
vanity, but vain imaginations ? What can wta*g 
from a viper but poison ? A man naturally is either 
weaving spiders webs, or hatching cmkatnces eggs, 
Isaiah lix. 5. that is, his heart is exercised either in 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF, Q$ 



vanity or mischief \ for not only the frame of the heart* 
but what the heart frame til is evil continually , Gen. yi. 
5. A wicked man that is besotted with false conceits* 
will admit of no good thoughts to enter. 

5. Even when we are good, and devise good things, 
yet there is still some sickness of fancy remaining in 
the best of us, whereby w r e work trouble to our- 
selves; and therefore it is necessary we should labour 
to restrain and limit our fancy, and stop these waters 
at the beginning, giving no not the least way thereto. 
If it begins to grow wanton, tame the wildnessof it by 
fastening it to the cross of Christ, whom we have 
pierced with our sins, Zech xii. 10. and amongst others 
with these sins of our spirits, who hath redeemed us 
from our vain thoughts and conversations, 1 Pet. i. IS. 
Set before it the consideration of the wrath of God, of 
death, and judgment, and the woful state of the damn- 
ed, &c. and take it not off till thy heart be taken off 
from straying from God : when it begins once to run 
out to impertinences, confine it to some certain th"ng, 
and then upon examination we shall find it bring home 
some honey with it : otherwise it will bring us no- 
thing but a sting from the bitter remembrance of our 
former mispent thoughts and time, which we should 
redeem and fill up, w:th tilings that most belong to our 
peace, Luke xix. 47. Idleness is the hour of tempta- 
tion, wherein Satan joins with our imagination, and 
sets it about his own work, to grind his grease: for 
the soul, as a mill, either grinds that which is put into 
it, or else works upon itself. Imagination is the first 
wheel of the soul, and if that move amiss, it stirs all 
the inferior wheels amiss with it: it stirs itself, and 
other powers of the soul are stirred by its motion,, and 
therefore the well-ordering of this is of the greater 
consequence : for, as the imagination conceivetb, so 
usually the judgment conclu •ieth, the will chooseth^ 
the arrectious are carried, aod the members execute. 

If it break loose, as it will soon run not, yet g : ve no 
consent of the will to it ; though it hath defiled he 
memory, yet let it not defile the will: though it be 
the rirstoorn of the soul, yet let it not ascend nut > the 
fathers's bed ; that is, our will, and defile that which 



9° 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 



should be kept pure from the Spirit of Christ : resolve 
to act nothing upon it, but cross it before it moves to 
execution and practice of any thing. As in sickness 
many times we imagine, (by reason of the corruption 
of taste) physic to be ill for us, and those meats which 
nourish the disease to be good ; yet care of health 
makes us cross our own conceits, and take that which 
fancy abhors : so, if we would preserve sound spirits, 
we must conclude again groundless imagination, ana 
resolve, that whatsoever it suggests cannot be so, be- 
cause it crosses the grounds both of religion and rea- 
son And when we find imagination to deceive us in 
sensiblethings(asmelancholypersonsaresubjecttomis- . 

take) wemay well gather, that it will much more deceive 
usin our spiritual condition : and, indeed, such isthe in- 
coherence, impertinency, and unreasonableness of ima- 
gination, that men are often ashamed, and angry with 
themselves afterwards, for giving the least way to such 
thoughts ; and it is good to chastise the soul for the 
same°, that it may be more wary for the time to come : 
whilst men are led with imagination, they work not 
according to right rules prescribed to men, but as o her 
baser creatures, in whom phantasy is the chief ruling 
power; and therefore, those who will guide their fan- 
cies, live more like beasts than men. 
■ We allow a horse to prance and skip in a pasture, 
which if he doth when he is once backed by the nder 
we count him an unruly and unbroken jade ; so, how- 
soever in other creatures we allow liberty of fancy : yet 
we allow it not in man to frisk and rove at its 
pleasure, because in him it is to be bridled with rea- 

S °6. Especially take heed of those cursed imaginations 
out of which, as of mother roots, othersspring forth; ^as 
questioning God's providence, and care of his children, 
hisjusticefhis disregarding of what is done herebetow 
&c. thoughts of putting off our amendment from time 
to come, and so blessing ourselves in an evil way ; 
thoughts against the necess.ty of exact and circumspect 
■walking with God, &c. When these and such fate 
principles of Satan's and the flesh's divinity take place 
in our hearts, they block up the soul aga.nst the en- 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 



trance of soul-saving truths, and taint our whole con- 
versations, which is either good or evil, as the princi- 
ples are by which we are guided, and as our imagina- 
tion is, which lets in all to the soul. 

The Jews, in Jeremiah's time, were forestalled 
with vain imaginations against sound repentance ; and 
therefore the counsel is, Wash thine heart, O Jerusa- 
lem ; how long shall vain thoughts lodge within? 
Jer. iv. 14. 

7. Fancy will the better be kept within its due 
bounds, if we consider the principal use thereof: 
Sense and imagination is properly to judge what is 
comfortable or uncomfortable, what is pleasino or dis- 
pleasing to the outward man, not what is morally good 
or ill • and thus far by the laws of nature and civility 
we are bound to give fancy contentment borh in our- 
selves and others, as not to speak or do any thin^ un- 
comely, which may occasion a loathing or distaste in 
our converse with men : and it is a matter of con- 
science to make our lives as comfortable as may be 3 as 
we are bound to love, so we are bound to use all helps 
that may make us lovely, and endear us into the good 
affections of others. As we are bound to give no 
offence to the conscience of another, so to no power or 
faculty either of the outward or inward man of another. 
Some are taken off in their affection by a fancy, where- 
of they can give but little reason ; and some- are more 
careless in giving offence in this kind, than stands with 
^that Christian circumspection and mutual respect which 
we owe one to another: the apostle's rule is of iaro-e 
extent, Whatsoever things are not only true, and 
honest, and just, but whatsoever things are lovely * 
and of good report, think.- of these things, Phi) v. 8. 
Yet our main care should be to manifest ourselves 
rather to mens consciences than to their imaginations. 

8. It should be our wisdom likewise to place our- 
selves to the best conveniency of ail outward helps 
which may have a kind working upon our fancy 5 and 
to take heed of the contrary, as time, place, and ob- 
jects, See. There be good hours, and good messen- 
gers of God's sending, golden opportunities, wherein 



V3 THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF* 

Cod uses to give a meeting to his children, and breathe* 

^ them Even tri an Xe 

Ken fas David and Solomon, &c.) had no faither 
S than they were carefnl of well using all good 
safety man iney - themse l V es from such ob- 

• d ? nt3g had a '^STS^ »P° n thera » * suffering 
jects as had a workm p y ^ ^ hearts 

the ,r soul to be W . and robbed them . 

2lves n o1 • mu?h grSnd comfort, thereupon Solomon 
cSfolwth grief and shame.from his own expen- 
r«ii<V of vanities, all is vanity, Ecd. i. 2. 
£ \ Si Se fire before we be aware. Little things 
Sffi o great matters ; Job knew this, and there- 
fore mad alovenant with his eyes, Jot , x«.. 1. But 
ufwvTeyes are in the corners of the earth, sarth 

of some excellent thought 

r S« hear or see, proves a great advantage of 

soul. P Whilst S St. Austin outof 

spmiua s bear the eloquence of St. Am- 

cunostty ddighteum ^ sweedy 

b ^ Se ' tocreTher with the words into his heart. Of later 
shdmg togefoe ™^ Caracciolus an Italian mar- 
t,m «' S nlpW to pope Paul V. was hearing Peter 
&r readfng uln first Corinthians, and shewing 
foe deceTvaSfnes? of man's judgment in spmtual 
T? nStthe efficacv of divine truth in those that be- 

nnrlose '' If a man be walking afar off, and see 
purpose, / frn-p.w an d hear no noise of the 
people tongtog*e r, and ^ ^ ofthetrwHs : 

^hiri JS-^ and hears the music, and 
SSirof^iSieS .fe mule, that he is not 

S^tWnSttSS * but when they look more nar- 
ow^nto their courses, and see a gracious harniony 
betwean their lives and the word of God, then they 



ir he soul's conflict with itself. 



begin, to be in love with the beauty of holiness, and 
join in conformity of holy obedience with those they 
scorned before* : This similitude wrought so effect- 
ually with this nobleman, that he began from that time 
forward to set his mind to the study of heavenly things. 

One seasonable truth falling upon a prepared heart, 
hath oftentimes a sweet and strong operation : Luther 
confesseth, that having heard a grave divine Staupicius 
say, that that is kind repentance which begins from the 
Jove'of God; ever after that time the practice of repen- 
tance was sweeter to him. This speech of his likewise 
took well with Luther, that in doubts of predestination 
we should begin from the wounds of Christ ; that is, 
from the sense of God's love to us in Christ, we should 
arise to the grace given us in election before the world 
begun, 2 Tim. i. Q. 

The putting lively colours upon common truths hath 
often a strong working both upon the fancy, and our 
will and affections. The spirit is refreshed with fresh 
things, or old truths refreshed : this made the preacher 
seek to find out pleasing and acceptable words, Eccl. 
xii. 19. And our Saviour Christ's manner of teaching 
was a lively representation to mens fancies, to teach 
them heavenly truths in an earthly sensible manner : 
End, indeed, what do we see or hear, but will yield 
matter to a holy heart to raise itself higher ? 

We should make our fancies serviceable to us in spi- 
ritual things, and take advantage by any pleasure, or 
profit, or honour which it presents our thoughts withal, 
to think thus with ourselves, What is this to the true 
honour, and to those enduring pleasures, &c. And 
seeing God hath condescended to represent heavenly 
things to us, under earthly terms, we should follow 
God's dealing herein. God represents heaven to us, 
under the term of a banquet, and a kingdom, &c. 
Luke x. 32. Our union with Christ under the term 
of a marriage 3 yea, Christ himself, under the name 
of whatsoever is lovely or comfortable in heaven or 
earth. So the Lord sets out hell to us by whatsoever is 

♦■See Beza in the life of Galeaceus Carracciolus. 



9 2 



JOO THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 

terrible or tormenting-Here is a large field for pur 
Station to walk in, not only without hurt but 
wittf a -reatdeal of spiritual gain. If the wrath of 
?W °be as the roaring of a lion,, what, is t he wrath 
of the Kim of kings? If fire be so terrible, what is 
hell-fire > If a dark dungeon be so loathsome, what is 
f£ eternal dungeon of darkness ?-If a>ast be so 
Setin" what ° s the continual feast of a good con- 
tience 9 Prov. xv. 15, If the meeting of fr.ends be so 
Stable what will our meeting together in 
^ be ?-The scripture by such like terms would 
hefo our faith and fancy both at once : a sanctified 
fancy wOl make every creature a ladder to heaven. 
And because childhood and youth are ages of fancy; 
t w it U a srood way to instil into the hearts of 

ninl of evil, by such like representations as agree with 
thefr fancie ; as to hate hell under the representation 
of fire and darkness, fcc. Whilst the soul is joined 
to tlie body, it hath not only a necessary but a holy 
use of iSination, and of sensible things, whereupon 
use 01 n±j£ 5 „^ r kf?th • what is the use of the 
our ^^J^^Z^^-mm, and 
SSi^ ' As the soul receives much 
Ct from'imagination, so it may have much good 

t^T«ZtS«on-. tne thing's we , believe 
I X as neither eye hath seen, nor ear heard, 1 Cor. 
To S me into the heart of man by unagi- 
"±' Sd up from any thing which we have 
r^rard,they are ff£ 

Sffi hi rSeySimauX anlfaith hath ap- 
t Tem then imagination hath use, while the 
prehended them then n ^ truths , and 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF* 101 



cause the joys of heaven, and the torments of hell are 
so great, that all the representations which nature af- 
fords us-, fall short of them. 

Imagination hath likewise some use in religion, by 
putting cases to the soul ; as when we are tempted to 
any unruly action, we should think with ourselves, 
What would I do, if some holy grave person, whom I 
much reverence, should behold me ? Whereupon the 
soul may easily ascend higher God sees me, and my 
own conscience is ready to witness against me, &c. 

It he*ps us also in taking benefit by the example of 
other men : good things are best learned by others ex- 
pressing of them to our view ; the very sight often, 
nay, the very thought, of a good man doth good, as 
representing to our souls seme good thing which we 
affect; which makes histories, and the lively chara- 
ters and expressions of virtues and vices useful to us. ■ 
The sight, yea, the very reading of the suffering of the 
martyrs hath wrought such an hatred of that persecute 
ing church, as hath done marvellous good : the sight 
of justice executed upon malefactors, works a greater 
hatred of sin in men than naked precepts can do : so 
outward pomp and state in the world, doth further that 
awful respect due to authority, &c. 

9. It would much avail, for the well ordering of 
our thoughts, to set our souls in order every morn- 
ing, and to strengthen and perfume our spirits with 
some gracious meditations, especially of the chief end 
and scope : Wherefore we live here, and how every 
thing we do, or befals us, may be reduced and order- 
ed to further ftie main. The end of a Christian is 
glorious ; and the often thoughts of it will raise and 
enlarge the soul, and set it on work to study how to 
make all things serviceable thereunto."'' It is a thing 
" to be lamented, that a Christian born for heaven, hav- 
ing the prize of his high calling set before him, and 
matters of that weight and excellency to exercise his 
heart upon, should be taken up with trifles, and fill 
both his head and heart with vanity and nothing, as 
all earthly things will prove ere long : and yet, if many 
mens thoughts and discourses were distilled, they are 



102 THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 

so frothy, that they would hardly yield one drop of true 
comfort. 



Sect. IV. 

An Objection about the Freedom of Thought answered, 

BUT some may possibly object, and say, Oh I 
thoughts and imaginations are free; and we shall not 
lie accountable for them. ... ■ 

Answ. This is a false plea: for God hath a sove- 
reignty over the whole soul, and his law binds the 
whole inward and outward man. As we desire our 
whole man should be saved by Christ; so we must 
yield up the whole man to be governed by him : and 
it is the effect of the dispensation of the gospel, ac- 
companied with the Spirit, to captivate whatsoever is 
in man unto Christ, and to bring down all high power- 
ing imaginations that exalt themselves against God s 
Spirit. There is a divinity m the word of God 
powerfully unfolded, which will convince our souls 
of the sinfulness of natural imaginations, as we see 
in the idiot, 1 Cor. xiv. who seeing himself laid 
open before himself, cried out, that God was m the 

SP There ought to be in man a conformity to the truth 
and goodness of things; or else, 1. We ^shall wrong 
our own souls with false apprehensions ; and, 2. The 
creature, by putting a fashion upon it otherwise than 
S3 hath made; and, a. We shall wrong God him- 
self the author of goodness, who cannot have his true 
glory but from a right apprehension of tb.ngs as hey 
Ire What a wrong is it to men when we shall take 
up false prejudices against them without ground ! and 
so suffer our conceits to be envenomed against them by 
unjust suspicions, and by this means deprive ourselves 
of all that good which we might receive by them ; foi 
our nature is apt to judge, and accept of things i as the 
persons are, and not of persons according to the th.ngs 
themselves : this faculty exercises a tyranny in the soul,. 



THE SOUL S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 103 

setting up and pulling down whom it will. Job judged 
his friends altogether vain, chap, xxvii. 12. because 
they went upon a vain imagination and discourse, 
judging him to be a an hypocrite, which could not but 
add much to his affliction. When men take a toy 
in their head against a person or place, they are ready 
to reason as he did, Can any good come out of Naza* 
reth ? John viii; 46. 

It is an indignity for men to be led with surmises 
and probabilities, and so to pass a rash judgment upon 
persons and things. Oftentimes falsehood hath a 
fairer gloss of probability than truth, and vices go 
masked under the appearance of virtue, whereupon 
seeming likeness breeds a mistake of one thing for 
another i and Satan oftentimes casts a mist before our 
imagination that so we might have a mishapen con^ 
ceit of things ; by a spirit of elusion he makes worldly 
things appear bigger to us, and spiritual things lesser 
than indeed they are ; and so by sophisticating of things, 
our affections come to be misled. Imagination is the 
womb, and Satan the father of all monstrous concep- 
tions and disordered lusts, which are well called de- 
ceitful lusts, Eph. iv. 22. and lusts of ignorance, 
1 Tim. vi. 9. 5 foolish and noisome lusts, because they 
both spring from error and folly, and lead unto it. 

We see even in religion itself, how the world, toge- 
ther with the God of the world, is led away, if not to 
worship images, yet to worship the image of their 
own fancy: and where the truth is most profes- 
sed, yet people are prone to fancy to themselves 
such a breadth of religion, as will altogether leave 
them comfortless, when things shall appear in their 
true colours ; they will conceit to embrace truth 
without hatred of the world, and Christ without 
his cross, and a godly life without persecution 5 
they would pull a rose without pricks : which, 
though it may stand with their own base ends for a 
while, yet will not hold out in times of change, 
when sickness of body and trouble of mind shall 
come. Empty conceits are two weak to encounter 
with real griefs. 



104 the soul's conflict with itself. 



Some think orthodox and right opinions to be a plea 
for a loose life, whereas there is no ill course of life 
but springs from false opinion. God will not only 
call us to account how we have believed, disputed, 
and reasoned, &c. but how we have lived. Gur care 
therefore should be to build our profession, not on 
seeming appearances, but upon sound grounds, that 
the gates of hell cannot prevail against. The hearts 
of many are so vain, that they delight to be blown up 
with flattery, because they have their imagination 
pleased (yea, even when they cannot but know them- 
selves abused^) and are grieved to have their windy 
blaader pricked, and to be put out of their conceited 
happiness. Gthers, out of a tediousness in serious 
and settled thoughts, entertain every thing, as it \s 
offered to them at the first blush, and suffer their 
imaginations to carry them presently thereunto with- 
out further judging of it. The will naturally loves 
variety and change, and our imagination doth it ser- 
vice herein, as not delighting to fix long upon any 
thing ; hereupon men are contented, both in religion, 
and in common life, to be misled with prejudices 
upon shallow grounds. Whence it is that the best 
things and persons suffer much in the world, the 
power and practice of religion is hated under odious 
names, and so condemned before it is understood : 
whence we see a necessity of getting spiritual eye- 
salve, for without true knowledge the heart cannot be 
good y Prov. xix. 2. 

It is just with God, that those who take liberty in 
their thoughts, should be given up to their own ima- 
ginations, to delight in them, and to be out of con- 
ceit with the best things, and so to reap the fruit of 
their own ways. Nay, even the best of God's peo- 
ple, if they take liberty therein, God will let loose 
ll.c.r imagination upon then selves, and sutler them 
to be entangled and vexed with their own hearts ^ 
those that give way to their imaginations, show what 
hek actions shouM be, if they dared ; for if they for- 
bear doing evil out of conscience, they should as well 
forbear imagining evil 5 for both are alike open to 
God and hatefulto him : and therefore, often wliere 



THE SOUl/s CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 105 

there is no conscience of the thought, God gives men 
up to the deed The greatest,, and hardest work of a 
Christian is least in sights which is the well ordering 
of his heart : some buildings have most workmanship 
under ground ; it is our spirits that God, ivho is a 
spirit, (John iii. 24.) hath most communion withal: 
and the less freedom we take to sin here, the more 
argument of our sincerity, because there is no laws to 
bind the inner man, but the law of the Spirit ofgace, 
whereby we are a law to ourselves. A good Chris- 
tian begins his repentance where his sin begins, in 
his thoughts, which are the next issue of heart. God 
counts it an honour when we regard his all-seeing 
eye so much, as that we will not take liberty to our- 
selves in that which is so offensive to him, no not 
in oar hearts, wherein no creature can hinder us : 
'it is an argument that the Spirit hath set up a king- 
dom and order in our hearts, when oar spirits rise 
within us against any thing that lifts itself , up against 
goodness. 



Sect. W 

An Objection concerning the Impossibility of ruling the 
Imagination, answered. 

MANY flatter themselves, from an impossibility of 
ruling their imaginations, and are ready to lay all upon 
infirmity and natural weakness, &c. 

To which it may be replied, that such persons must 
know, that if we be sound Christians, we will find 
no impossibility to rule the imagination 5 for the Spi- 
rit of God will enable us to do all things, evangeli- 
cally, that we are called unto, if we give way, without 
check to the motions thereof : where the Spirit is, 
it is su h a light, as discovers not only dunghills, but 
motes themselves, even light and flying imaginations, 
and abaseth the soul for them, and by degrees purgeth 
them out y and if they press (as they are as busy as 



106 THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELf. 

flies in summer) yet a good heart 
nor allow himself in them, but casts them off - 
hot water doth the scum, or as the stomach ^doth that 
which is noisome unto it, they find not that enter 

^^^^ 
tughr SSbtarfS and bloody thoughts, 
eSSSs anV shops of vain thoughts, a very forge 
and mint of false, politic and undermining thoughts, 
tea often a little hell of confused and black imagma- 
Ss There is nothing that more -oveth a g odly 
man to renew his interest every day in the perfect 
Steou sness and obedience of his Saviour, than these 
SffitaSJ of his soul, when he finds something 
n IS always enticing and drawingaway his hear 
from God, and intermingling itself wuh highest per- 
formances'. Even good thoughts ^jfS?^ 
they come unseasonably, and weaken our exa.t per 
formance of duty. 

Sect. VI. 

Misconceits about Imagination to he avoided. 

BUT here some misconceits about imagination must 

^^Swe'mui'take heed that we account not our 
• ■ ZL tn be r elision i so we must not account 

So 'Station only; a* if holy men troubled them- 
Xs more than needs, when they stand upon reh- 
sel\es more Peking to approve themselves 

gi ? God in a ^ rSgranTendeavounng so far as 
TJL will Permit, to § avoid all appearance of evil, 
1 t£s v 22 Many men are so serious in vanities 

j i :„ trifles that they count all, who dote not 
and real in ti fles, tbatu y do ^ 

Se 0 ftSftfS ofhaTh revved to them things of a 
Wher nature') to be fantastics and humourous people, 
and so mpu e the work of the Spirit to the flesh, 
God's woT to Satan, which comes near upon bias- 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 107 

phemy : they imagine good men to be led with vain 
conceits, but good men know them to be so led. Not 
only St. Paul, Acts xxvi. 24. but Christ himself, were 
counted besides themselves when they were earnest 
for God, and the souls of his people. But there is 
enough in religion to bear up the soul against all im- 
putations laid upon it : the true children of wisdom, 
Matt. xi. 19. are always able to justify their mother; 
and the conscionable practice of holy duties is founded 
upon such solid grounds, as shall hold out when hea- 
ven and earth shall vanish. 

2 We must know that there is great danger in 
false conceits of the way to heaven, when we make it 
broader than it is 5 for, by this means, we are like 
men going over a bridge, who think it broader than 
it is, but being deceived by some shadow, sit down, 
and are suddenly drowned: so men mistaking the 
way to life, and trusting to the shadow of their own 
imagination, fall into the bottomless pit of hell be- 
fore they are aware. — In like manner the danger is , 
great in making the way to heaven narrower than, 
it is, by weak and superstitious imaginations, making 
more sins than God has made, The wise man's 
counsel is, that we should not make ourselves over 
wicked , nor h efoolisher than we are, by devising more 
sins in our imagination, than we are guilty of, EccL 
vii. 17- 

It is good in this respect, to know our Christian 
liberty, which, being one of the fruits of Christ's 
death, we cannot neglect the same, without much 
wrong not only to ourselves, but to the rich bounty 
and goodness of God So that the due rules of limi- 
tation be observed, from authority, piety, sobriety, 
needless offence of others, &c. we may with better 
leave use all those comforts which God hath given to 
refresh them : the care of the outward man binds con- 
science so far, as that we. should neglect nothing 
which may help us in a cheerful serving of God, in our 
places, and tend to the due honour of our bodies which 
are the temples of the Holy Ghost, 1 Cor. iii. 16, 17. 
and companions with our souls in all performances $ . 
so that, under this pretence, we take not too much 



108 THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 

liberty to satisfy the lusts of the body. Intemperate - 
use of the creature is the nurse of all passions ; be- 
e-use our spirits, which are the soul's instruments, 
are hereby inflated and disturbed: it is no wonder 
to see an intemperate man transported into any. 

Pa 3 S1 °Some, out of their high and airy imaginations 
fand. out of their airy and flinty philosophy,) will 
ieeds think outward good and ill, together with the 
affections of grief and delight, stirred up thereby, to- 
be but opinions and conceits of good and evil only, 
not true and ,eally so founded in nature best taken 
up of ourselves. But though our fancy be ready to 
conceit a greater hurt in outward evils tnan mdeeo 
there is ; as in poverty, pam of body death of 
friends &c. yet we must not deny rhem to be evils ; 
that wormwood is bitter ; it is not a conce.t only, 
but the nature of the thing itself; yet to abstain 
from it altogether, for the bitterness thereof, is a 
hurtful conceit. That honey is sweet j it is not a 
conceit only, but the natural quality ^of it is so: ye 
out of a taste of the sweetness, to thmk we cannot 
take too much of it, is a misconceit paid home witli 
loathsome bitterness. Outward good and outward 
evil and the affections of delight and sorrow rising 
thence, are naturally so, and depend not upon our 
opinion This were to offer violence to nature and 
to take man out of man, as if we were not flesh but 
iLl Universal experience, from the sensibleness of 
our nature in any outward grievance, is sufficient to 
damn this conceit. . . e . „ . . 

The way to comfort a man m grief, is not to tell 
him that it is only a conce.t of evil, and no evil in- 
deed hat he suffers; this kind of learning ™11 not 
down with him, as being contrary to the present feel- 
J' b t ti e way is,- to yield unto him that there is 
calse of grieving, though not of over grieving ; and 
T4ow h m grounds of comfort, stronger than the 
trief he suffers. We .foukl weigh the degrees of 
Ivil in the right balance, and not fancy to make them 
Sea£ than they are; so that, for obtanung the 
Seiest outward good, or avoidmg the greatest out- 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF, 10q- 

ward ill of suffering, we should give way to the least 
evil of sin. This is but a policy of the flesh, to take 
away the sensibleness of evil, that so those checks, of 
conscience and repentance for sin, which is often oc- 
casioned thereby, might be taken away, that so men 
may go on enjoying a stupid happiness, never laying 
any thing to heart, nor afflicting their souls, until 
their consciences awaken in the place of the damned^ 
and then they feel that grief return upon them for 
ever, which they laboured to put away when.it might 
have been seasonable to them. 



Sect. VII. 

A distempered Fancy begets spiritual Madness. 

I HAVE stood the longer upon this, because Satan 
and his instruments, by bewitching the imagination 
with false appearances, misleadeth not only the 
world, but trcubleth the peace of men taken out of 
the world, whose estate is laid up safe in Christ, who^ 
notwithstanding, pass their few days here in an un- 
comfortable, wearisome, and unnecessary sad Mess of 
spirit, being kept in ignorance of their happy condi- 
tion by Satan's juggling and their own mistakes, and 
so come to heaven before they are aware. Some 
again pass their days in a golden dream, and drop into 
hell before they think of it ; but it is far better to 
dream of ill, and when we are awake to find it but a 
dream, than to dream of some great good, and when 
we awake to find the contrary, 

As the distemper of the fancy disturbing the act of 
reason, often breeds- madness, in regard of civil con- 
versation : so it breeds likewise spiritual madness, 
carrying men to those things, which, if they were in 
their right wits,, they would utterly abhor 5 therefore^ 
we cannot have too much care upon what we fix our 
thoughts: and -what a glorious discovery is thereof 
the excellencies of religion that would even ravish 
an angel, which may raise up, exercise, and fill our 
hearts ! 



tip THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 

We see our fancy hath so great a force in natural 
conceptions, that it often sets a mark and impression 
upon that which is conceived in the womb : so like- 
wise, strong and holy conceits of things (having a di- 
vine virtue attending them) transform the soul, and 
breed spiritual impressions answerable to our spiritual 
apprehensions. It would prevent many crosses if 
we would conceive of things as they are. When 
trouble of mind, or sickness of body, and death itself 
cometh, what will remain of that greatness which, 
filled our fancies before > Then we can judge so. 
berly, and speak gravely of things. The best way of 
happiness is not to multiply honours, or riches, &c. 
but to cure our conceits of things, and then we can- 
not be very much cast down with any thing that befals 

us here , 

Therefore when any thing is presented to our souls, 
which we see is ready to work upon us, we should 
ask of ourselves, upon what ground we entertain 
such a conceit, whether we shall have the same judg- 
ment after we have yielded to it, as now we have ? 
and whether we will have the same judgment of it in 
sickness and death, and at the day cf reckoning as we 
have for the present ? That which is of itself evil, 
is always so at one time as well as another : if the 
time will come, when we shall think those things to 
be vain, which now we are so eagerly set upon, as if 
there were some great good in them, why should we 
not think so of them now, when as the reforming of 
our judgment may do us good, rather than to be led 
on with a pleasing error until that time, wherein the 
sight of our error will fill our hearts with horror and 
shame, without hope of ever changing our condition. 
Here, therefore, is a special use of those solilo- 
quies to awaken the soul, and to stir up reason cast 
asleep by Satan's charms, that so scattering the clouds 
through which things seem otherwise than they are, 
we may discern and judge of things according to their 
true and constant nature. Demand of thy soul, 
Shall I always be of this mi » ? will not the time 
come when this will prove bitterness in the end ? shall 
I redeem a short contentment with lasting sorrow ? as* 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. Ill 

my Judge of my mind ? will not a time come when, 
all things shall appear as they are ? is this according to 
the rule ? &c. 

To conclude, therefore $ whereas there be divers 
principles of men's actions, as, 3. Natural inclina- 
tion) inclining us to some courses more than others y 
2. Custom, which is another nature in us 5 3 Ima- 
gination, apprehending things upon shallow grounds - y 
from whence spring affection, whereby we desire 
glory in things above our own strength and measure, 
and make show of that, the truth whereof is wanting 
in us ; 4. True judgment, discerning the true reason 
of things ; 5. Faith, which is a spiritual principle 
planted in the soul, apprehending things above rea- 
son, and raising us up to conceive of all things as 
God hath discovered them : now, a sound Christian 
should not be lightly led with those first common 
grounds of natural inclination, custom, opinion, &c, 
but by judgment be enlightened, advanced, and guided 
by faith. And we must take heed we suffer not 
things to pass suddenly from imagination to affection, 
without asking advice of our judgment, and faith in 
the way, whose office is, to weigh things in God's 
balance, and thereupon to accept, or refuse them. 



CHAP. XIV, 

Of Help ly others. Of true Comforters, and their 
Graces, Method. Ill Success, 

Sect. I. 

There is a help for us against Troulles in others* 

BuT because we are subject to favour and flatter 
ourselves, it is wisdom to take the benefit of a second 
self 5 that is, a well chosen friend living or dead^ 
(books, 1 mean,) which will speak truly without 
flattery of our estates. A friend is made for the 



112 THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF, 

time of adversity, and two are belter than one ; for, 
by this means, our troubles are divided, and so more 
S toe. The very presence of a true-hearted 
friend yields often ease to our grief. Of all friends, 
t ho that by office are to speak a word to a weary 
sou are most to be regarded, as speaking to us m 
gh LstVsS Oftentimes, especially in our own 
case we are blind and benighted with passion, and 
Sen the judgment of a friend is clearer. Living 
feSds havi a°threefold privilege : I. Then- advice .s 
suitable, and fit to our present <M 
meet with our grievance, so cannot books so well. 2. 
What comes from a living friend, comes l.vely as 
helped by his Spirit. 3. In regard ot ourselves, what 
toey say s apprehended with more ease, and less plod-- 
dS aid bent of mind: there >s scarce any thing 
ihfrein we see God more in favour towards us, than 
in our friends, and their seasonable speeches ; out 
Lrts being naturally very false and willingly deceived, 
S often Ogives us up to be misled by men, not ac 
cording to his. but our own naughty hearts. As men 
are such are their counsellors , for such they will 
have and ,uch God lets, them have. Men whose 
wuS are stronger than their wits, who are weddec 
to their own ways, are more pleased to hear that 
which complies with their inclinations, than a harsh 
h which crosses them ; this presages ruin, because 
hey are not counselable : wherefore God suffers 
hem to be led through a fool's paradise to a true pri- 
on as men that will neither hear themselves nor 
ottos who would do them good against their wills. 
I was a sign God would destroy Eli's sons when bey 
would hear no counsel, 1 San. ... 25 God fill s su h 
men with their own ways, P™v. x.v 14 Men in 
Seat Place often, in the abundance of all things else, 
S he benefit of a true friend, became under pre- 
tence of service of them men carry their own ends ; 
as they flatter themselves, so they ate flattered by 
o the t? and so robbed of the true judgment of them- 
sl es Of all spiritual judgments th* >s the heaviest, 
for men to be «iven up to such a measure of self- 
SledS as to SJ spiritual balm to heal them , 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 



113 



usually such perish without remedy , Prov. xxix. 1, be- 
cause to be wilfully miserable is to be doubly misera- 
ble : for it adds to our misery that we brought it upon 
ourselves. 

It is a course that will have a blessing attending it, 
for friends to join in league one to watch over ano- 
ther, and observe each other's ways. It is. an usual 
course for Christians to join together in other holy 
duties, as hearing, receiving of the sacrament, prayer, 
kc. but this fruit of holy communion which ariseth 
from a mutual observing one another is much want- 
ing -j whence it is that so many droop, so many 
are so uncheerful in the ways of God, and lie groan- 
ing under the burden of many cares, and are battered 
with so many temptations, &c. because they are left 
only to their own spirits. What an unworthy thing 
is it, that we should pity a beast overloaden, and yet 
take no pity of a brother ? whereas there is no living 
member of Christ but hath spiritual love infused 
intp him, and some ability to comfort others. Dead 
stones in an arch uphold one another, and shall not 
living ? It is the work of an angel to comfort, nay., 
it is the office of the Holy Ghost to be a Comforter, 
not only immediately, but by breathing comfort into 
our hearts, together with the comfortable words of 
others : thus one friend becomes an angel, nay, 
a God to another ; and there is a sweet sight of God 
in the face of a friend 3 for though the comfort given 
by God's messengers, be ordinarily most effectual, as 
the blessing of parents, who are in God's room, is 
more effectual than the blessing of others upon their 
children : yet God hath promised a blessing to the 
offices of communion of saints performed by one pri- 
vate man towards another. Can we have a greater 
encouragement than under God to be gainer of a soul^ 
which is as much in God's esteem, as if we should 
gain a world? Spiritual alms are the best alms;, 
mercy showed to the souls of men is the greatest 
mercy 5 and wisdom in winning of souls is the greatest 
wisdom in the world, because the soul is especially 
the man, upon the goodness of which, the happiness 
of the whole man depends : what shining and flourish- 



114 THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 

ing Christians should we have if these duties were 
performed ? As we have a portion in the communion 
of saints, so we sould labour to have humility to take 
good, and wisdom and love to do good. A Christian 
should have feeding lips, and a healing tongue ; the 
leaves, the very words of the tree of righteousness 
have a curing virtue in them. _ 

Some will shew a great deal of humanity in com- 
forting others, but little Christianity ; for, as kind 
men, they will utter some cheerful words, but as 
Christians, they want wisdom from above to speak 
a gracious word in season : nay, some there are, who- , 
hinder the saving work of any affliction upon the 
hearts of others, by unseasonable and unsavoury dis- 
courses, either by suggesting false remedies, or else 
diverting men to false contentments, and so become 
spiritual traitors, rather than friends, taking part with 
their worst enemies, their lusts and wills Happy is 
he that in his way to heaven meeteth with a cheerful 
and skilful guide and fellow-traveller, that carrieth 
cordials with him against all faintings of spirit. It is a 
part of our wisdom to salvation to make choice of such 
a one as may further us in our way : an indifferency 
for any company shews a dead heart ; where the life 
of grace is, it is sensible of all advantages and disad- 
vantages. How many have been refreshed by one 
short, apt, savoury speech? which hath begotten, a& 
it were, new spirits in them. 

In ancient times (as we see in the story of Job, chap, 
ii. 12.) it was the custom of friends to meet together, 
to comfort those that were in misery ; and Jot .takes 
it for granted, chap. vi. 14. that to him that is afflicted 
pity should be showed from his friends .- for, besides 
the presence of a friend, which hath some influence 
of comfort in it ; 1 . The discovery of his loving affec- 
tion hath a cherishing sweetness in it. 2. Ine ex- 
pression of love in real comforts and services by sup- 
plying any outward want of the party troubled, pre- 
vails much ; thus Christ made way for his comforts o 
the souls of men, by showing outward kindness to 
their bodies. Love, with the sensible fruits ot it, 
prepared! for any wholesome counsel. 3. Atiei this^ 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF* 115 

wholesome words carry a special cordial virtue with 
them, especially when the Spirit of God, in the affec- 
tionate speaker, joins with the word of comfort, and 
thereby closeth with the heart of a troubled patient, 
When all these concentre and meet together in one, 
then is comfort sealed up to the soul. The child in 
Elizabeth's womb sprang at the presence and saluta- 
tion of Mary, Luke i. 14. The speech of one hearty 
friend cannot but revive the spirits of another. ^ Sym- 
pathy hath a strange force, as we see in the strings of 
an instrument, which being played upon, as they say, 
the strings of another instrument are also moved with 
it. After love hath once kindled love, then the heart 
being melted, is fit to receive any impression 5 unless 
both pieces of the iron be red hot, they will not join 
together : two spirits warmed with the same heat will 
easily soder together. 



Sect. I. 

Graces necessary in dealing with others. 

IN him that shall stay the mind of another, there 
had need be an excellent temper of many graces 5 as, 
1. Knowledge of the grievance, together with wisdom 
to speak a word in season, and to conceal that which 
may set the cure backwards. 2. Faithfulness with 
liberty, not to conceal any thing which may be for his 
good, though against present liking. The very life 
and soul of friendship stands in freedom, tempered 
with wisdom and faithfulness. 3. Love with com- 
passion and patience to bear all 9 and hope all, and 
not easily provoked, Cor. xiv. 6. by the waywardness 
of him we deal with. Short-spirited men, are not the 
best comforters : God himself is said to bear with the 
manners of his people in the wilderness. Acts xiii. IS. 
It is one thing to bear with a wise sweet moderation, 
that which may be born, and another thing to allow 
or approve that which is not to be approved at all. 
Where these graces are in the speaker, and appre- 
hended so to be by the person so distempered, his heart 



116 THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 



will soon embrace whatsoever shall be spoken to recti- 
fy his judgment or affection. A good conceit of the 
spirit of the speaker, is of as much force to prevail as 
his own woids. Words especially prevail, when they 
are uttered more from the bowels than the brain, and 
from cur own experience, which made even Christ 
himself a more compassionate high-priest. When 
men come to themselves again, they will be the deep- 
est censurers of their own miscarriage. 



Sect. III. 

Further directions how to deal with others, 

MOREOVER, to the right comforting of an afflict- 
ed person, special care must be taken of discerning 
the true ground of his grievance, the cure must be 
searched out : if the grief ariseth from outward causes^, 
then it must be carried into the right channel, the 
course of it must be turned another way, as in staying 
of blood 5 we should grieve for sin in the first place, 
as being the evils of all evils. If the ground be sin, 
then it must be drawn to ahead, from a confused grief 
to some more particular sin, that so we may strike the 
right vein : but if we find the spirit much cast down for 
particular sins : then comfort is immediately to be ap- 
plied: but if the grief be not too ripe, then, as we use 
to help nature in its offers to purge, by physic, till the 
sick matter be carried away : so, when conscience, 
moved by the Spirit, begins to ease itself by confession, 
it is good to help forward the work of it, till we find 
the heart low enough for comfort to be laid upon. 
When Paul found the jailor cast down almost as low as 
hell, he stands not now upon farther hammering, and 
preparing of him for mercy, (that work was done al- 
ready,) but presently stirs him up to believe in the Lord 
Jesus Christ ; here being a fit place for an interpreter 
■to declare unto man his righteousness, and his mercy 
that belongs unto him after he hath acknowledged his 
personal and particular sins, which the natural guile of 
the heart is extremely backward to do, and yet cannot 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 11/ 



receive any sound peace till it be done : if signs of 
grace be discerned., here likewise is a fit place to de- 
clare unto man the saving work of grace in his hearty 
which Satan labours to hide from him. Men oft are 
not able to read their own evidences without help. 

In case of stiffness and standing out, it is fit the man 
vf God, should take some authority upon him, and 
lay a charge upon the souls of men, in the name of 
Christ, to give way to the truth of Christ, and to for- 
bear putting off that mercy which is so kindly offered ; 
when we judge it to be their portion : which course 
will be successful in hearts awed with a reverend fear 
of grieving God's Spirit. Sometimes men must be 
dealt roundly withal, as David here deals with his own 
soul 5 that so, whilst we ask a reason of their dejec- 
tion, they may plainly see they have no reason to be 
so cast down \ for oftentimes, grievances are irrational, 
rising from mistakes ; and counsel bringeth into the 
soul a fresh light, dissolves those gross fogs ; and set- 
teth the soul as liberty. What grief is contracted by 
false reason, is by true reason altered. Thus it pleas- 
eth God to humble men by letting them see in what 
need they stand one of another, that so the communion 
of saints may be endeared ; every relation wherein we 
stand towards others, are so many bonds and sinews, 
whereby one member is fitted to derive comfort 'to 
another, through love the bond of perfection, Col. iii. 
14. All must be done in this sw T eet atfection. A 
member out of joint must be tenderly set in again, and 
bound up ; which only men guided by the spirit of 
love, seasoned with discretion are fit to do ; they are 
taught of God to do what they should. The more of 
Christ is in any man, the more willingness and fitness 
to this duty : to which this should encourage us, that 
in strengthening others, we strengthen ourselves, -and 
derive upon ourselves the blessing pronounced on those 
that consider the needy, Psal. xli. 1. which will be our 
comfort here, and crown hereafter, that God hath 
honoured us, to be instruments of spiritual good to 
others. It is an injunction to comfort the feeble minded, 
I Thess. v. 14. and there is an heavy imputation on 
those that comforted not the zveak : when men will not 



118 THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 

own men in trouble, but as the herd of deer forsake 
and push away the wounded deer from them: ana 
those that are any ways cast down, must stoop to those 
ways, which God hath sanctified to convey comfort ; 
for though sometimes the Spirit of God immediately 
comforts the soul, which is the sweetest, yet for the 
most part, the Sun of righte.oumets that hath healing 
in his wings; conveyeth the beams of his comfort by 
the help of others, in whom he will have much of our 
comfort to lie hid; and for this very end it pleaseth 
God to exercise his children (and ministers especially) 
with trials and afflictions; that so they, having felt 
what a troubled spirit is in themselves, might be able 
to comfort others in their distresses, with the same 
comfort wherewith they have been comforted : God 
often suspends comfort from us to drive us to make use 
of our christian friends, by whom he proposeth to do 
us srood. Oftentimes, the very opening of mens griev- 
ances, bringeth ease without any further working upon 
them ; the very opening of a vein cools the blood It 
God in the state of innocency, thought it fit man should 
have a helper ; if God thought it fit to send an angel 
to comfort Christ in his agonies, shall any man think 
the comfort of another more than needful > Satan 
makes every affliction, by reason of our corruption, 
a temptation to us, whereupon we are to encounter not 
only with our own corruptions, but with spiritual 
wickedness ; and need we not then, that others should 
ioin forces with us to discover the temptation, and to 
confirm and comfort us against it > for so reason join- 
ing with reason, and affection with affection ; we come 
bv uniting of strength to be impregnable. Satan hath 
most advantage in solitariness, and thereupon sets upon 
Christ in the wilderness, Matt. iv. and upon Eve single, 
Gen iii. and it added to the glory of Christ's victory, 
that he overcame in a single combat, and m a place ot 
such disadvantage. Those that will be alone (at such 
times)do as much as in them lieth, to tempt the tempter 
himself, to tempt them. The preacher gives three 
reasons, Eccl. iv. Q. why two are letter than one : 1. 
Because if one fall, the other may lift him up : as that 
which is stronger shoreth up that which is weaker ; so 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 11§ 

feeble minds, are raised and kept up by the stronger t 
nay, oftentimes he that is weaker in one grace, is 
stronger in another ; one may help by his experience 
and meekness of love, that needs the help of another 
for knowledge. 2. If two lie together, one may warm 
another by kindling one another's spirits. Where two 
meet together upon such holy grounds and aims, there 
Christ by his Spirit makes up another 5 and this three- 
fold cable who shall break ? While Joas lived, Jeho- 
iada stood upright: while Latimer and Ridley lived, 
they kept up Cranmer by intercourse of letters and 
otherwise, from entertaining counsels of revolt. The 
disciples, presently upon Christ's apprehension, faint- 
ed ; notwithstanding he laboured by his heavenly doc- 
trine, to put courage and comfort in them. 3. If any 
give an onset upon them, there is two to withstand it $ 
spirit joining with spirit: and because there is an ac- 
quaintance of spirits as well as of persons, those are 
fittest to lay open our minds unto, in whom, upon 
experience of their fidelity, our hearts may most safely 
rely. We lose much of our strength in the loss of a 
true friend 5 which made David bemoan the loss of his 
friend Jonathan, Woe is me Jor thee, My brother Jona- 
than, 2 Sam. i. 20. He lost a piece of himself, by 
losing him whom his heart so clave unto : St Paul ac- 
counted, that God had shewed especial mercy to him, 
in the recovery of Epaphroditus, Phil. ii. 27. 

Sect. IV. 

Miscarriages in the party that needs to be comforted, 

BUT there are divers miscarriages in those that - 
are troubled, which make the comfort of others of 
none effect. 

1 . When the troubled party deals not directly, but 
doubleth with him that is to help him. Some are 
ashamed to acknowledge the true ground of their griev- 
ance, pretending sorrow for one thing, when their 
hearts tell them, it ariseth from another • like the lap- 
wings, which make greatest noise farthest from their 



3 20 THE soul's conflict with itself. 

nest, because they would not have it discovered : this 
deceit moved our blessed Saviour (who knew what was 
in the hearts of men,) to fit his answers, many times., 
rather to the man than to the matter. _ 

2 Some rely too much upon particular men : Oh, 
if they had such a one, they should do well, and mis- 
like others, (fitter perhaps to deal with them, as hav- 
ing more thorough knowledge of their estates,) because 
they would have their disease rather covered than cur- 
ed ■ or if cured, vet with soft words, whereas no 
plaister worketh better than that which causes smart. 
Some out of mere humorous fondness, must have 
that which can hardly be got, or else nothing pleases 
them : David must needs have the waters oj Bethle- 
hem, 2 Sam. xxiii. 15. when others were nearer hand s 
and oftentimes, when men have not only whom they 
desire, but such also, who are fit and dexterous in 
dealing with a troubled spirit; yet their souls feel no 
comfort, because they make idols of men ; whereas 
men at the best, are but conduits of comfort, and such 
as God freely conveyeth comfort by, taking liberty ott 
to deny comfort by them, that so he may be acknow- 
ledged the God of all comfort. , „ . 

3 Some delude themselves, by thinking it sufficient 
to have a few good words spoken to them, as if that 
could cure them; not regarding to apprehend the 
same, and mingle it with faith ; without which, good 
words lose their working, even as wholesome physic in 
a dead stomach. . 

Besides miscarriages in comforting ; times will often 
fall out in our lives, that we shall have none either to 
comfort us, or to be comforted by us, and then what 
will become of us, unless we can comfort ourselves ? 
Men must not think always to live upon alms, but lay 
up something in store for themselves, and provide oil 
for their own lamps, and be able to draw- out some- 
thing from the treasury of their own hearts W e 
must not go to the surgeon for every scratch. Nowise 
traveller, but will have some refreshing waters about 
him Again, we are often driven to retire home to 
our own hearts, by uncharitable imputations of other 
men • even friends sometimes become miserable com- 



THE SOUL s S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 12! 

ten : it was Job's case, Job ii. his friends had honest 
intentions to comfort hirn, but erred in their manner of 
dealing 5 if he had found no more comfort by reflecting 
upon his own sincerity, than he received from them, 
who laboured to take it from him P he had been doubly 
miserable. We are most privy to our own intentions 
and aims, whence comfort must be fetched : let others 
speak what they can to us, if Our own hearts speak not 
with them, we shall receive no satisfaction. Some- 
times it may fall out, that those which should unloose 
our spirits when they are bound up, mistake \ the key 
misses the right wards, and so we lie bound still, 
Opening of our state to another is not good, but when 
it is necessary, and it is not necessary, when we can 
fetch supply from our own store 3 God would have us 
tender of our reputations, except in some special cases, 
wherein we are to give glory to God by a free and full 
confession. Needless discovery of ourselves to others, 
makes us fear the conscience of another man, as privy 
to that which we are ashamed he should be privy 
unto 1 and it is neither wisdom nor mercy to put men 
upon the rack of confession, further than they can 
have no ease any ether way, for by this means, we 
raise in them a jealousy towards us 5 and oft without 
cause j which weakeneth and tain teth that lov& g which 
should unite hearts in one. 



CHAP. XTo 

Of .flying tQ God in disquiets of soul. Eight observa- 
tions out of the text. 

What if neither the speech of others to us, nor 
the rebuke, of our own hearts, will quiet the soul ? Is 
there no remedy left ? 

Yes, then look up to God, the Father and fountain 
of comfort, as David doth here 5 for the more special 
means whereby he sought to recover himself-, was by 

1 * 

I 



122 THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 

laying a charge upon his soul to trust in God : for hav- 
ing let his soul run out too much, he begins to recol- 
lect himself again, and resign up all to God. 

Sect. I. 

But, how came David to have the command of his 
own soul, so as to take it off from grief, and to place 
It upon God ; could he dispose of his own heart 
himself \ 

The child of God hath something in him above a 
man 3 he hath the Spirit of God to guide his spirit : 
this command of David to his soul was under the com- 
mand of the great Commander. God commands Da- 
vid to trust in him ; and at the same time, infuseth 
strength into his soul, by thinking of God's command, 
and trusting to God's power, to command itself to 
trust in God : so that this command, is not only by 
■authority, but by virtue likewise of God's command t 
as the inferior orbs move, as they are moved by a 
higher ; so David's spirit here, moves as it is moved by 
God's Spirit ; which inwardly spake to him, to speak 
to himself. 

David in speaking thus to his own soul, was, as 
every true Christian is, a prophet and an instructer to 
himself : it is but as if inferior officers should charge 
in the name and power of the king. God's children 
have a principle of life in them from the Spirit of God, 
by which they command themselves. To give charge, 
belongs to a superior : David had a double superior 
above him, his own spirit has sanctified, and God's 
Spirit guiding that. Our spirits, are the Spirit's agents, 
and the Holy Spirit is God's agent, maintaining his 
right in us. As God hath made man a free agent, so 
he guides him, and preserves that free manner of work- 
ing, which is agreeable to man's nature. 

By this it appears, that David's moving of himself, 
did not hinder the Spirit's moving of him, neither did 
the Spirit's moving of him, hinder him from moving 
himself in a free manner for the Spirit of God raov- 



THE SOUl/S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 123 

eth according to our principles, it openeth our under- 
standings to see, that it is best to trust in God: it 
moveth so sweetly, as if it were an inbred principle, 
and all one with our own spirits : if we should hold our 
will to move itself, and not to be moved by the Spirit^ 
we should make a God of it ; whose property is to 
move other things, arid not to be moved by them. 

We are in some sort lords over our own speeches and 
actions ; but yet, under a higher Lord. David was 
willing to trust in God, but God wrought that will in 
him : he first makes our will good, and then works by 
it. It is a sacrilegious liberty that will acknowledge 
no dependance upon God. We are wise in his wisdom s 
and strong in his strength, who saith, Without me ye 
can do nothing, John xv. But the bud of a good de- 
sire, and the blossom of a good resolution, and the 
fruit of a good action, all comes from God. Indeed 
the understanding is ours, whereby we know what to 
do; and the will is ours, whereby we may make 
choice of what is best to be done: but the light, 
whereby we know, and the guidance whereby we 
choose j that is from a higher agent, which is ready to 
flow into us with present fresh supply, when by virtue 
of former strength, we put ourselves forward in 
obedience to God. Let but David say to his soul> 
being charged of God to trust ; I charge thee my soul 
to trust in him; and he finds a present strength 
enabling to it. Therefore we must both depend upon 
God as the first mover $ and withal, set all the inferior 
wheels of our souls a going, according as the Spirit of 
God ministers motion unto us : so shall we be free from 
self-confidence, and likewise from neglecting that 
order of working, which God hath established. David 
hearkened what the Lord said, before he said any thing 
to himself 5 so should we. God's commands tend to 
this, that we should command ourselves. God, and 
the minister under God, bid us trust in him ; but all 
is to no purpose till grace be wrought in the soul, 
whereby it bids itself : our speaking to others, doth no 
good, till they, by entertaining what we say, speak 
the same to their own souls. 

g2 



124 THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF* 

In this charge of David upon his own soul, we may 
see divers passages and privileges of a gracious heart in 
trouble. 



Ohserv. 1. That a Christian when he is heaten out of 
till other comforts, yet hatha God to run unto. A 
wicked man beaten out of earthly comforts $ is, as a 
naked man in a storm, and an unarmed man in tke 
field, or as a ship tossed in the sea without an anchor, 
which presently dashes upon rocks, or falleth upon 
quick-sands j but a Christian, when he is driven out 
of all comforts below, nay, when God seems to be 
angry with him, he can appeal from God angry, to God 
appeased, he can wrestle and strive with God, by 
God's own strength, fight with him, with his own 
weapons, and plead with God, by his own arguments. 
What a happy state is this ? who would not be a chris- 
tian, if it were but for this, to have something to rely 
on, when all things else fail? The confusion and 
unquietness which troubles raise in the soul, may 
drive it from resting in itself; but there can never be 
any true peace settled, until it sees and resolves what 
to stay upon. 



Obser. 2. We see here, tnat there is a sanctified use 
of all troubles to God's children; first, they drive them 
out of themselves, and then draw them nearer to God. 
Crosses indeed of themselves estrange us more from 
God ; but by an over-ruling work of the Spirit, they 



because he knows nothing can stand and prevail against 
God, or a soul that relieth on him 5 therefore he 



Sect. It 



Sect. III. 




THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF, 125 

labours to breed and increase an everlasting division 
betwixt God and the soul : but let not Christians muse 
so much upon their trouble ; but see whither it carries 
them., whether it brings them nearer unto God or not : 
it is a never failing rule of discerning a man to be in 
the state of grace, when he finds every condition draw 
him nearer to God; for thus it appears, that such love 
God, and are called of him, Rom. viii. 28, unto whom. 
all things work together for the Lest 

Sect. IT. 

Obser. 3. Again, hence we see that the Spirit of 
God by these inward speeches, doth awake the soul, 
and keep it in a holy exercise, by stirring up the grace 
of faith to its proper function. It is not so much the 
having of grace, as grace in exercise, that preserves the 
soul therefore we should by this, and the like means 
stir up the grace of God in us ; that so it may be kept 
a working, and in vigour and strength. It was David's 
manner to awake himself, by bidding both heart and 
harp to awake. It is the waking Christian that hath 
his wit and his grace ready about him, who is the safe 
Christian : grace dormant without the exercise, dotii 
not secure us. It is almost all one (in regard of pre- 
sent exigence) for grace not to be and not to work. 
The soul, without action, is like an instrument not 
played upon, or like a ship always in the haven : mo- 
tion is a preservative of the purity of things : even life 
itself is made more lively by action. The Spirit of God, 
whereby his children are led, is compared to things of 
the quickest and strongest actions ; as fire and wind, 
Sec. God himself is a pure act, always in acting ; and 
every thing the nearer it comes to God, the more it 
hath its perfection in working. The happiness of man 
consists chiefly in a gracious frame of spirit, and actions 
suitable sweetly issuing therefrom 5 the very rest of 
heavenly bodies is in motion in their proper places. 
By this stirring up the grace of God in us, sparkles 
come to he flames, and all graces are kept bright. 



120 THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF, 

Troubles stir up David, and David being stirred, stirs 
up himself. 

Sfxt. V. 

Obser. 4. We see likewise here, a farther use of 
soliloquies or speeches to our own hearts : when the 
soul by entering into itself, sees itself put out of order ; 
then it enjoins this duty of trusting in God upon it % if 
we look only on. ourselves, and not turn to God, the 
work of the soul is imperfect : then the soul worketh as 
It should 5 when, as by reflecting on itself, it gathers 
some profitable conclusion, and leaveth itself with God. 
David upon reflecting upon himself, found nothing but 
discouragement ; but when he looks upward to God, 
there he finds rest. This is one end, why God suffers 
the soul to tire and beat itself ; that finding no rest 111 
itself, it might seek to him. David yields not so much 
to his passion, as that it should keep him from God. 
Therefore, let no man truly religious, pretend (for an ex- 
cuse) his temper or provoking occasions, &c. for grace 
doth raise the soul : grace doth not only stop the soul 
in an evil way, but carries it to a contrary good, and 
raiseth it up to God. Though holy men be subject to 
like passions with others, James v. 17- as it is said of 
Elias- yet they .are not so inthraled to them, as that 
they carry them wholly away from their God ; but 
they hear a voice of the Spirit withm them, calling 
them back again to their former communion with 
God 5 and so grace takes occasion (even from sin) to 
exercise itself. 



Sect, VI. 



Obser 5 Further, that distrust is the cause qf 
quiet: the soul suffers itself by something here be- 
low, to be drawn away from God 3 but can find no 
rest till it return to him again. As Noah s dove had 
no place to set her foot upon, till it was received m to 
the ark from whence it came. Gen. vm. H. And it 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. I2f 

is God's mercy to us., that when we have let go our 
hold of God, we should find nothing but trouble and 
unquietness in any thing else ; that so we may remem- 
ber from whence we are fallen, and return home 
again. That is a good trouble, which frees us from 
the greatest trouble, and brings with it the most com- 
fortable rest : it is but an unquiet quiet, and a restless 
rest, which is out of God. it is a deep spiritual judg- 
ment, for a man to find too much rest in the creature i 
the soul that hath had a saving work, upon it, will be 
always impatient until it recover its former sweetness 
in God ; after God's Spirit hath once touched the soul, 
it will never be quiet^ until it stands pointed God- 
ward. 

But conscience may object. Upon any offence is God 
offended; and therefore not to be trusted. 

It is true, where faith is not about natural consci- 
ence ; but a conscience sprinkled with the blood of 
Christ, is not scared from God by its infirmities and 
failings, but as David here, is rather stirred up to run 
unto God by his distemper ; and it had been a greater 
sin, than this distemper, not to have gone unto God. 
Those that have the spirit of sons in their hearts* do 
not run farther from God,, after they have a little 
strayed from him j but though it be the nature of sin- 
ful passions to breed grief,, and shame 5 yet they will 
repair to God again, and their confidence overcomes 
their guilt : so well are they acquainted with God's 
gracious disposition. 

Yet we see here, David thinks not of trusting in 
God, till first he had done justice upon his own soul ; 
in- rebuking the unruly motions thereof : censure for 
sin, goeth before favour in pardoning sin ; or boldness 
to ask pardon of God : those that love God must hate 
ill, Psal. xcvii. 10. If our consciences condemn us of 
allowing any sin, we cannot have boldness with God, 
who is (light and can abide no darkness and) greater 
ihm our consciences* 



32B THE SGUl/S CONFLICT WITH ITSE-LJ 



Sect. VIL 

Obser. 6. Moreover, hence we see, it is no easy 
thing to bring God and the heart together : David here 
as he often checks his heart, so he doth often charge 
his heart 3 doubts and troubles are still gathering upon 
him, and his faith strll gathering upon them. As one 
striving to get the haven, is driven back by the waves, 
but recovering himself again, gets forward still ; and 
after often beating back, at length obtains the wished 
haven, and then is at rest. So much ado there is to 
bring the soul unto God, the harbour of true comfort. 
It were an easy thing to be a Christian, if religion stood 
only in a few outward works and duties ; but to take 
the soul to task, and to deal roundly with our own 
hearts, and to let conscience have its full work, and 
to bring the soul into spiritual subjection unto God; 
this is not so easy a matter, because the soul out of 
self-love, is loath to enter into itself lest it should 
have other thoughts of itself, than it would have: 
David must bid his soul trust, and trust, and trust 
again, before it would yield. One main ground of 
this difficulty, is that contrariety which is in the soul, 
by reason of contrary principles : the soul, so far as it 
is gracious, commands, so far as it is rebellious resists ; 
which drew holy Austin to a kind of astonishment ; 
" The soul commands the body, and it yields, (saith 
he) it commands itself, and is resisted by itself; it 
commands the hand to move, and it moveth with such 
an unperceivable quickness, that you can discern no 
distance betwixt the command and the motion : 
Whence comes this? but beeai.se the soui perfectly 
wills not, and perfectly enjoins not that which is good 5 
and so far forth, as it fully wills not, so it holds back. 
There should be no need of commanding the som it it 
were perfect, for then it would be of itself, what it 
now commandeth. If David had gotten his soul at 
perfect freedom at the first, he needed not have re- 
peated his charge so often upon it. But the soui 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 1 2C| 

naturally sinks downward, and therefore bad need 
often to be wound up, 

Sect. VIII. 

Gbser. 7. We should therefore, labour to bring; 
our souls (as David doth here) to a firm and peremp- 
tory resolution, and not stand wavering ; and as it 
were, equally balanced betwixt God and other things ; 
but enforce our souls • we shall get little ground of 
infidelity else : drive your souls therefore to this issue, 
either to rely upon God, or else to yield up itself to^ 
the present grievance $ if by yielding, it resolves to be 
miserable, there's an end , but if k desires rest, then, 
let it resolve upon this only way, to trust in God: and! 
well may the soul so resolve, because in God, there 
are grounds of quieting the soul, above all that may 
unsettle it : in him> there is both worth to satisfy, , 
and strength to support the soul. The best way to 
maintain m ward peace, is to settle and fix our thoughts^ 
upon that which will make us better 5 till we find our 
hearts warmed, and wrought upon thereby 5 and then, 
(as the prophet speaks) God ivilL keep us in- peace, 
Isa. xxvi. 3. peace, that is, in perfect and abundant 
peace. This resolution stayed Job, that though, God: 
should kill him, yet he resolved to trust in him. Ans- 
werable to our resolution, is our peace: the more 
resolution, the more peace; irresolution, of itself, 
without any grievance, is full of disquiet : It is art; 
unsafe thing always, to begin to live 5 to be always 
cheapening and paltring with God: come to this point 
once, trust God I ought, , therefore* trust God I i will, 
come what may> or wilL 

And it is good to renew; our resolutions, again and 
acrain j for every new resolution, brings the, soul closer 
to God, and gets further in him, and brings fresk 
strength from him; which, if we neglect, our cor- 
ruption joining with outward hindrances, will carry* 
us further and further backward 3 and this will double^ 
0 5 



130 the soul's conflict with itself. 



yea multiply our trouble and grief, to recover ourselves 
again > we have both wind and tide against us : we 
are going up the hill, and therefore had need to arm 
Ourselves with resolution. Since the fall, the motion 
of the soul upward (as of heavy bodies) is violent y 
in regard of corruption, which weighs it downward j 
and therefore, all enforcement is little enough : oppose - 
therefore with David, all invincible resolution, and 
then doubt not of prevailing. If we resolve in God's 
power, and not our own, and be strong in the Lord, 
and not in ourselves, Eph. vi. 10. then, it matters not 
what our troubles or temptations be, either from with- 
in, or without 5 for trust in God at length will triumph. 

Here is a great mercy ! that when David had (a 
little) let go his hold of God, yet God would not let 
go his hold of him ; but by a spirit of faith, draws him 
back again to himself: God turns us unto him, and. 
then we return. Turn us again, (saith the Psalmist,). 
cause thy face to shine upon us, and we shall be safe, 
Psal. lxxx~ 19. When the soul leaves God once, it 
loses its way, and itself 3 and .never returns till God 
recals it again. If moral principles, cherished and 
strengthened by good education, will enable the soul 
against vicious inclinations $ so that though, some in- 
fluence of the heavens work upon the air, and the air 
upon the spirits, and the spirits upon the humours ; 
and these incline the temper^ and that inclines the soul: 
of a man such and such ways 5 yet breeding in the 
more refined sort of civil persons, will much prevail, 
to draw them another way : What then may we think 
of this powerful grace of faith, which is altogether 
supernatural ? Will not this carry the soul above all 
natural inclinations whatsoever, (though strengthened 
by outward occasion*) if we resolve to put it to it? 
David was a king of other men ; but here, he shews 
that he was a king of himself : What benefit is it for a 
man, to be ruler over all the world, and yet remain a 
slave to himself? 



THE SOUl/s CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 131 



Sect. JX. 

Obser. 8. Again, David here doth not only resolve, 
but presently takes up his soul, before it strayed too far 
from God : the further, and the longer the soul wa n- 
ders from God, the more it entangles itself, and *he 
thicker darkness will cover the soul 3 yea, the loather 
it is to come to God again, being ashamed to look God 
in the face, after discontinuing of acquaintance with 
him ; nay, the stronger the league grows betwixt sin 
and the soul, and the more there groweth a kind of 
suitableness betwixt the soul and sin : too long giving 
way to base thoughts and affections, discovers too much 
complacency and liking of sin* If we once give way, 
a little grief will turn into bitter sorrow, and that into 
a settled pensiveness and heaviness of spirit 5 fear will 
grow into astonishment, and discouragement into des- 
pair. If ever we mean to 'trust God; why not now ? 
How many are taken away in their offers and essays, 
before they have prepared their hearts to cleave unto 
God ? The sooner we give up ourselves to the Lord, 
the sooner we provide for our best security ; and have 
not ou& grounds of comfort to seek, when we shall 
stand most in need of them* Time will salve up griei 
in the meanest of men 5 reason,, in those that will suf- 
fer themselves to be ruled thereby, will cure (or .at 
least stay the fits of it) sooner .3 but faith, if we stir it 
up, will give our souls no rest, until it hath brought 
us to our true rest 5 that is, to God : therefore, we 
should press the heart forward to God presently, that 
Satan make not the rent greater. 

Lastly, Here we see, that though the soul be over*- 
iborn by passion for a time, yet if grace hath truly sea- 
soned it, it will work, itself into freedom again $ grace 
as oil, will be above. The eye, when any dust falls 
into it, it is more tender and unquiet, till it be wrought 
out again, than a gracious soul is, being once trou- 
bled: the spirit, as a spring, will be cleansing of itself 
more and more. Whereas, the heart of a carnal 
man, is like a standing pool 3 whatsoever is cast into 



132 THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 

it, there it rests ; trouble and disquietness in him, are 
in their proper place : It is proper for the sea, to rage 
and cast up dirt j God hath set it down for an eternal 
rule, that vexation and sin shall be inseparable. Hap- 
piness and rest, were severed from sin in heaven, when 
the angels fell, and in Paradise when Adam fell ; and 
will remain for ever separated, until the breach be made 
tip by faith in Christ. 

CHAP. XVI. 

Of trust in God: grounds of it: especially his provi- 
- dence, 

BuT to come nearer to the unfolding of this trusting 
if God, which David useth here as a remedy aga.nst 
all distempers. Howsoever confidence and trust be an 
affection of nature j yet by the Sp.nfs sanct.fymg and 
carrying it to the right object, »t becomes a grace of 
wonderful use. In the things of this life, usually he 
that hopes most, is the most unw.se mar,, he being 
mt deceived that hopes most, because he trusts in 
S which is uncertain ; and therefore deceitful hope 
s counted but the dream of a wakmg man. -But 
n region, it is far otherwise; here, hope is the 
Saui supporting grace of the soul, springing from 

^tffi^^^ep in the same, sense 

Mse : fa.th looks to tne _ i ^ 

rity orinc yi r things as present 5 

'we* - - coJf tereat, 'cod as 'the fiSt truth 
Shat which faith relies on; but God, as the chief 
£ I is that which hope rests on ; trust or confidence, 
else but the strength of hope ; if the thing 
u 1 % be'deferred, then of necessity it enforces 
Sungfai d wS is nothing else, but hope and 
trust lengthened, , 



THE SOUl/s CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 133 

Howsoever, there may be use of these, and such 
distinctions : yet usually they are taken promiscuously, 
especially in the old Testament. The nature and use 
of fai th, is set out by terms of staying, resting, leaning, 
rolling ourselves upon God, &c. which come all to 
one; and therefore, we iorbear any further curious 
distinction. • 
Now, seeing trusting in God, is a remedy against all 
distempers 5 it is necessary, that we should bring the 
object and the act (God and the soul) together : for ef- 
fecting of which, it is good to know something con- 
cerning God, and something concerning trust. God 
is only the fit object of trust, he hath all the properties 
of that which should be trusted on : a man can be in 
no condition, wherein God is at a loss and cannot 
help him : if comforts be wanting he can create com- 
'forts, not only out of nothing, but out of discomforts, 
Jonah i. 17- he made the whale that swallowed up 
Jonas, a means to bring him to the shore : the sea was 
a wall to the Israelites on both sides : the devouring 
flames, were a great refreshing to the three children 
in the fiery furnace, Dan. hi. That trouble, which 
we think will swallow us up, may be a means to 
bring us to our haven : So mighty is God in poiver, 
and so excellent in working, Isa. xxviii. 29. God then;, 
and God only, is a fit foundation for the soul to build 
itself upon : for the firmer the foundation is, the 
stronger will the building be : therefore, those that 
will build high must dig deep: the higher the tree 
riseth, the deeper the root spreadeth and fasteneth it- 
self below. So it is in faith, if the foundation thereof 
be not firm, the soul cannot build itself strongly upon 
it : faith hath a double principle to build on, either a 
principle of being, or a principle of knowing : the 
principle of being, is God himself, the principle of 
knowing is God's word : whereby God cometh forth 
(out of that hidden light, which none can attain unto) 
and discovereth his meaning towards us for our good. 

This then must 1st, be supposed for a ground, that 
there is a God, and that God is ; that is, hath a full and 
eternal being, and giveth a being, and an order of be- 
ing, to all things else s some things have only a being 5 



134 the soul's conflict with itself. 



some things life and being ; some things, sense, &c. and 
some things have a more excellent being, including all 
the former: as, the being of creatures endued with 
reason : if God had not a being, nothing else could be : 
in things subordinate one to another, take away the 
first, and you take away all the rest: therefore, this 
proposition (God is) is the first truth of all, and if this 
were not, nothing else should be j as we see, if the 
heavenly bodies do not move,, there is no motion here 
below. . 

2; In the divine nature or being, there is a subsist- 
ing of three persons, every one so set out unto us, as 
fitted for us to trust in: the Father as a Creator, the 
Son as a Redeemer, the Holy Ghost as a comforter 5 
and all this in reference to us ; God in the first person, 
hath decreed the great work of our salvation, and all 
things tending to the accomplishment of it : God ii> 
the second person, hath exactly and fully answered that 
decree and plot, in the work of our redemption : God 
in the third person, discovers and applies all unto us: 
and fits us for communion with the Father and the Son,, 
from whom he proceeds. 

3. God cannot be comfortably thought upon out of 
Christ 5ur Mediator, in whom, he was reconciling the 
world to himself, 1 Cor. v. 19- as being a friend both 
to God and us, and therefore fit to bring God and _ the 
soul together : being a middle person in the Trinity: 
in Christ, God's nature becomes lovely to us, and ours 
to God : otherwise, there is an utter enmity betwixt 
his pure and our impure nature : Christ hath made 
up the vast gulf between God and us : there is nothing 
more terrible to think on, than an absolute God, out of 
Christ. 

4. Therefore for the better drawing of us to trust 
in God. we must conceive of him, under the sweet re- 
lation of a Father : God's nature is fatherly now unto 
us, and therefore lovely. 

5. And for further strengthening our faith, it is 
needful to consider what excellencies the scriptures 
giveth unto God, answerable to all our necessities : 
what sweet names God is pleased to be known unto us, 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 135* 



for our comfort, as a merciful, gracious, long-suffer* 
i?ig God, Exod. xxxiv. 6. 

When Moses desired to see the glory of God, God 
thus manifested himself, in the way of goodness, I 
will make all my goodness puss before thee r Exod. 
xxxiii. 16. 

Whatsoever is good in the creature,, is first in God 
as in a fountain y and it is in God in a more eminent 
manner and fuller measure. All grace and holiness, 
all sweetness of affection, all power and wisdom, &c, 
as it is in him, so it is from him, and we come to con- 
ceive these properties to be in God; 1. by feeling the 
comfort and power of them in ourselves 5 2. by obser- 
ving these things in their measure, to be in the best of 
the creatures y whence we arise to take notice of what 
grace, and what love, what strength and wisdom, &c. 
is in God, by the beams of these we see in his crea- 
tures; with adding in our thoughts, fulness, peculiar- 
to God, and abstracting imperfections, incident to the 
creature y for that is in God in the highest degree, the. 
sparkles whereof is but in us. 

6. Therefore it is fit, that unto all other: emi~ 
nencies in God, we should strengthen our faith by con- 
sidering those glorious singularities, which are altoge- 
ther incommunicable to the creature, and which give 
strength to his other properties ; as, that God is not 
only gracious and loving, powerful, wise, &c. but that 
he is infinitely, eternally, and unchangeably so : al 
which are comprised in, and drawn from that one 
name Jehovah ; as being of himself, and giving a being 
to all things else> of nothing and able when it pleas- 
eth him, to turn all things to nothing again. 

7. As God is thus, so he makes it good, by answer- 
able actions and dealing toward us, by his continual 
providence y and the consideration whereof is a great 
stay to our faith; for by his providence, God makes 
use of all his former excellencies. for his people's good: 
for the more comfortable apprehension of which, it is 
good to kiiow, that God's providence is extended as 
far as his creation. Every creature (in every element 
and place whatsoever) receivetb a powerful influence 
from God, who doth, what pleaseth him, both in 



J3& THT3 SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 

heaven, and earth, in the sea, and all places: but we 
must know, God doth not put things into a frame, 
and then leave them to their own motion; as we do 
clocks, after we have once set them right, and snips 
after we have once built them, commit them to winds 
and waves : but as he made all things, and knows all 
things, so (by a continued kind of creation) he pre- 
se-vesall things in their being and working, and governs 
them to their ends : he is the first mover that sets all 
the wheels of the creature a working : one wheel 
may move another, but all are moved by the first. If 
God moves not, the clock of the creature stands, It 
God should not uphold things, they would presently 
fall to nothing, from whence they came. It <*oA 
should not guide things, Satan's malice, and man s 
wickedness, would soon bring all to a confusion. If 
God did not rule the great family of the world, alt 
would break and fall to pieces; whereas the wise pro- 
vidence of God, keepeth every thing on its right 
hinges. All things stand in obedience to this provi- 
dence of God, and nothing can withdraw itself from 
anderit: if the creature withdraw itself from one 
order of providence, it falls into another: if man (the 
most unruly and disordered creature of all) withdraw 
himself from God's gracious government of him to 
happiness, he will soon fall under God's jusfgovern- 
ment of him to deserved misery ; it he shakes off God s 
sweet yoke, he puts himself under Satan's heavy yoke, 
who (as God's executioner) hardens him to destruc- 
tion ; and so whilst he rushes against God's will, he 
fulfils it. And whilst he will not willingly do God s 
will God's will is done upon him against his will. 

The most casual things fall under providence, yea 
(the most disordered thing in the world, sin, and of 
sins the most horrible that ever the sun beheld) the 
crucifying of the Lord of life, was guided by a hand of 
providence, to the greatest good. For that which is 
casual in regard of a second cause, is not so in regard 
of the first, whose providence is most clearly seen in 
casual events, that fall out by accident ; for m these, 
the effect cannot be ascribed to the next cause ; Ooa 
is said to kill him, who was unwarily slain by the 



1HE SOUlA CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 137 



falling of an axe, or some instrument of death, Deut: 

xix. 5. # ■ 

And though man hath a freedom in working, and 
(of all men) the hearts of kings are most free, yet even 
these are guided by an over-ruling power > as the 
rivers of water are carried in their channels, whither 
siilful men list to drive them. 

For settling of our faith the more, God taketh li- 
berty in using weak means to great purposes, and set- 
teth aside more likely and able means 3 yea sometimes, 
he altogether disableth the greatest means 3 and work- 
eth often by no means at all. It is not from want of 
power in God, but from abundance and multiplying 
of his goodness, that he useth any means at ail 3 there 
is nothing that he doth by means, but he is able to do 
without means. 

Nay, God often bringeth his will to pass, by cros- 
sing the course and stream of means 3 to shew his 
own sovereignty, and to exercise our dependance 3 and 
maketh his very enemies, the accomplishes of his own 
will 3 and so, to bring about that which they oppose 
most. Hence it is, that we believe under hope, 
against hope, Psa. cxxxv. 6. 

But we must know, God's manner of guiding things,, 
is without prejudice of the proper working of the 
things themselves 3 he guideth them sweetly, accord- 
ing to the instincts he hath put into them : for, 

1. He furnishes creatures with a virtue and power 
to work, and likewise with a manner of working 
suitable to their own nature 3 as it is proper for a 
man, when he works, to work with freedom, and 
other creatures by natural instinct, &c. 2. God main- 
tained both the power and the manner of working, 
and perfected and accomplished the same by acting 
of it 3 being nearer to us in all we do, than we are to 
ourselves, 3. He applies and stirs up our abilities and 
actions, to this or that particular, as he seeth best:. 
4. He suspends or removes the hindrances of • all ac- 
tions 3 and so powerfully, wisely, and sweetly oraers 
them to his own ends. When any evil is intended, 
God either puts bars and lets to the execution of it, or 
else limited and bounded the same,- both in regard.of; 



i38 THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITS EL r. 



time and measure ; so that our enemies either shall 
not do the evil at all ; or else not so long a time, or 
not in such a height of mischief, as their malice would 
carry them to : The rod of the wicked may light upon 
the back of the righteous, but it shall not rest there. 
God knows how to take cur enemies off 5 sometimes 
by changing, or stopping their wills, by ofFering some 
considerations of some good or ill, danger or profit to 
them sometimes by taking away, and weakening all 
their strength, or else by opposing an equal or greater 
strength against it. All the strength our enemies have, 
rests in God ; who, if he denies concourse and influ- 
ence, the arm of their power, (as Jeroboam's, when 
he stretched it out against the Prophet) shrinks up 
presently. 

God is not only the cause of things and actions, but 
the cause likewise of the cessation of them, why they 
fall* not out at all. God is the cause why things are 
not, as well as why they are : the cause why men fa- 
vour us not, or (when they do favour us) want pre* 
sent wisdom and ability to help us, is from God's with- 
drawing the concurrence of his light and strength from 
them. If a skilful physician doth us no good, it is 
because it pleaseth God to hide the right way of curing 
at that time from him -> which should move us to see 
God in all that befals us y who hath sufficient reason, 
as to do what he doth, so not to do what he doth not, 
to hinder, as well as to give way. 

The God of spirits hath an influence into the spirits 
of men, into the principles and springs of all actions y 
otherwise he could not so certajnly foretell things to 
come, God had a work in Absalom's heart, in that 
be refused the best counsel : there is nothing indepen- 
dent of him, who is the mover of all things, and him- 
self unmoveable. 

Nothing so high, that is above his providence ° s 
nothing so low, that is beneath it 3 nothing so large, 
bi$ is bounded by it ; nothing so confused, but God 
can order it ; nothing, so bad but he can draw good 
out of it ; nothing so wisely plotted, but God can dis- 
appoint it, as Ahithophel's counsel 5 nothing so simply 
ar^d impoliticly carried, but he can give a prevailing. 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 



130 



assue unto it 5 nothing so freely carried, in regard of 
the next cause, but God can make it necessary in re-' 
gard of the event ; nothing so natural, but he can 
suspend, in regard of the operation, as heavy bodies 
from sinking, lire from burning, &c. 

It cannot but bring strong security to the soul, to 
know that in all variety of changes, and intercourse of 
good and bad events, God, and our God, hath such 
a disposing hand. Whatsoever befals us, all serves to 
bring God's electing love, and our glorification together, 
God's providence serveth his purpose to save ns. All 
sufferings, all blessings, all ordinances, all graces, all 
common gifts, nay our very falls," yea Satan himself, 
with all his instruments, is over-mastered, and ruled 
by God ) have this injunction upon them, to further 
God's good intendment to us, and a prohibition to do 
us harm. Augustus taxed the world for civil ends, 
but God's providence used this for Christ to be born 
at Bethlehem. Ahasuerus could not sleep, and there- 
upon calls for the Chronicles, the reading of which, 
occasioned the Jews delivery, Esther vi. 1. God oft 
disposeth little occasions, to great purposes : and by 
those very ways, whereby proud men have gone about 
to withstand God's counsels, they have fulfilled them; 
as we see in the story of Joseph and Moses, in the 
thing wherein they dealt proudly, he was above them* 
Exod.x. 11, 



CHAP. XVII. 

Of graces to le exercised in respect of divine pro- 
vidence, 

'W^E are under a providence that is above our 
own 3 which should be a ground unto us, of exer- 
cising those graces that tend to settle the soul in 
all events : as, 

i. Hence to lay our hand upon our mouths, and 
command the soul an holy silence ; not daring to yield 
to the least rising of our hearts against God, / was. 



140 THE SOUl/s CONFLICT WITH ITSELF, 

dumb and opened not my mouth, because tJwu didst it, , 
saith David, Ps. xxxix. 9. Thus Aaron, when he had 
lost his two sons, both at once and that by fire, and 
by fire from heaven, which carried an evidence of God's 
displeasure with it, yet held his peace, Lev. x, 1, 2. 
In this silence and hope is our strength. Flesh and 
blood is prone to expostulate with God, and to ques- 
tion his dealing 5 as we see in Gideon, Jeremiah, 
Asaph, Habakkuk, and others. If the Lord be with 
us, why then hath all this befallen us ? But after some 
struggling between the flesh and the spirit, the con- 
clusion will be, yet, howsoever matters go, God is 
good to Israel, Ps. lxxiii. 1. Where a fearful spirit, 
and a melancholy temper, a weak judgment, and a 
scrupulous and raw conscience, meet in one 3 there 
Satan and his, together with men's own hearts, which, 
like Sophisters, are continually cavilling against them- 
selves ; breed much disquiet, and makes the life un- 
comfortable. Such therefore should have a special 
care as to grow in knowledge, so to stick close to sure 
and certain grounds, and bring their consciences to 
the rule. Darkness causeth fears. The more light, 
the more confidence. When we yield up ourselves to 
God, we should resolve upon quietness \ and if the 
heart stirs, presently use this check of David, Why 
art thou disquieted? 

" God's ways seem oft to us full of contradictions, 
because his course is to bring things to pass by contra- 
ry means. There is a mystery, not only in God's de- 
cree concerning man's eternal state, but likewise in 
his providence > as why he should deal unequally with 
men, otherw^ys equal. His judgments are a great 
depth, which we cannot fathom, but they will swal- 
low up our thoughts and understandings. God oft 
wraps himself in a cloud, and will not be seen till 
afterward. Where we cannot trace him, we ought 
with St. Paul, to admire and adore birn. W r hen we 
are in heaven, it will be one part of our happiness, to 
see the harmony of those things, that seem now con- 
fused to us. All God's dealings will appear beautiful 
in their due seasons ; though we for the present, see 



ME SOUl/s CONFLICT WITH ITaELFc 141 

not the congruity and linking together of one thing 
i with another. 

2. Hence likewise proceed a holy resigning of our- 
selves to God, who doth all things according to the 
counsel of his own will. His will is a wise will, it is 
guided by counsel, a sovereign prevailing will. The 
only way to have our will, is to bring it to God's wilh 
If we could delight in him, we should have our heart's 
desire. Thus David yields up himself unto God : 
Here I am, let the Lord deal with me as seemeth good 
unto him, 2 Sam. xv. 26. And thus Eli, when God 
foretold by Samuel the ruin of his house, quiets him* 
self, It is the Lord, let him do what seemeth him good, 
1 Sam. iii. 18. And thus, the people of God, when 
Paul was resolved to go to Jerusalem, submitted j say- 
ing, The will of the Lord I e done, Acts xxi. 24. a 
speech fit to proceed out of the heart and mouth of a 
christian. 

We may desire and long after a change of our con^ 
dition, when we look upon the grievance itself | but 
yet, remember still that it be with reservation 5 when 
we look upon the will of God, as How long Lord P 
holy and true, &c. out of inferior reasons we may 
with our Saviour, desire a removal of the cup, but 
when we look to the supreme reason of reasons, the 
will of God, here we must stoop and kiss the rod. 
Thus humbling ourselves under his mighty hand, which 
by murmuring and fretting we may make more heavy 
but not take off 5 still adding new guilt, and pulling 
on new judgments. 

3. The way patiently to suffer God's will, is to 
inure ourselves first to do it. Passive obedience springs 
from active. He that endures any thing, will endure 
it quietly, when he knows it is the will of God ; and 
considers, that whatever befals him, comes from his 
good pleasure. Those that have not inured themselves 
to the yoke of obedience, will never endure the yoke 
-of suffering: they foam and rage as a wild bull in a 
net, as the Prophet speaks. It is worth the consider- 
ing, to see two men of equal parts under the same 
cross 5 how quietly and calmly the one that establish 



142 THE SOUL S CONFLICT WITH ITSZ1? 

eth his soul on Christ, will bear his afflictions 5 where- 
as the ether rageth as a fool, and is more beaten, 

Nothing should displease us, that pleaseth God ; 
neither should anything please us,, that displeaseth 
him : this conformity is the ground of comfort. Our 
own will takes away God, as much as in it lies. Ij 
we acknowledge God in all our ways, he will direct 
our paths, and lead us the way that we should go, Isa. 
xlviii. 10. The quarrel betwixt God and us is taken 
up, when his will, and our will are one 5 when we 
have sacrificed ourselves, and our wills unto God ; 
when, as he is highest in himself, so his will hath the 
highest place in our hearts. We find by experience, 
that when our wills are so subdued, that we delight to 
do, what God would have us to do, and to be, what 
God would have us be; that then sweet peace pre- 
sently riseth to the soul. 

When we can say, Lord, if thou wilt have me poor 
and disgraced, I am content to be so. If thou wilt 
have me serve thee in this condition I am m, I will 
gladly do so. It is enough to me that thou wouldst 
have it so. I desire to yield readily, humbly, and 
cheerfully to thy disposing providence. Thus a godly 
man says Amen to God's Amen, and puts his fiat and 
placet to God's. As the sea turns all rivers into its 
own relish 5 so he turns all to his own spirit, and 
makes whatsoever befals him, an exercise of some vir- 
tue. A Heathen could say, that calamities did rule 
over men 5 but a wise man hath a spirit over-ruling all 
calamities, much more a christian. For a man to be 
in this state, is to enjoy heaven in the world under 
heaven : God's kingdom comes, where his will is thus 
done and suffered. 

None feel more sweet experience of God s provi- 
dence, than those that are most resolute m their obe- 
dience. After we have given glory to God, in rely- 
in* upon his wisdom, power, and truth; we shall find 
him employing these for our direction, assistance, anc 
bringing about of things to our desired issue, yea above 
whatever we looked for, or thought of. 

In all cases that fall out, or that we can. put to our- 
selves, as in case of extremity, opposition, strange ac- 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF, ~14~ 

cidents, desertion, and damps of spirit, & c . here we 
may take sanctuary, that we are in covenant with him 
who sits at the stern -and rules all ; and hath commit' 
ted the government of all things to his Son ; out Bro- 
ther, our Joseph, the second person in heaven We 
may be sure no hurt shall befal us, that he can hin- 
der; and what cannot he hinder that hath the keys of 
hell and death? unto whom we are so near, that he 
carries our names in his breast, and on his shoulders 
as the high Priests did those of the twelve tribes! 
1 hough this church seems a widow neglected, yet he 
will make the world know, that she hath a Husband 
will right her in his good time. 

Quest. But it may be demanded, What course is to 
be taken, for guidance of our lives in particular ac- 
tions, wherein doubts may arise, what is most agree- 
able to the will of God ? G 

Answ. l. We must not put all carelessly upon a 
providence ; but first consider what is our part and 
so far as God prevents us with light, and affords us 
helps and means, we must not be failing in our duty 
We should neither out-run, nor be wanting to provi- 
dence. But ui perplexed cases, where the reasons on 
both sides seem to be equally balanced, see whether 
part makes more for the main end, the glory of God 
the service of others, and advancement of our own 
spiritual good. Some things are so clear, and even 
that there is not a best between them, but one may 
be done as well as the other - as when two wavs 
equally tend to one and the same place. 

2. We are not our own, and therefere must not set 
up ourselves. We must not consult with flesh and 
blood, either m ourselves or others : for self-love will 
deprave all our actions, by setting before us corrupt 
ends. It considers not what is best, but w.hat is safest, 
.by-respects sway the balance the wrono- way. 

3. When things are clear, and God's" will is manl- 
iest, further deliberation is dangerous, and for the 
most part argues a false heart, as we see in Balaam, 
who though he knew God's mind, yet would be still 
consulting: till God in judgment gave him up to what 
his covetous heart led him unto. A man is not fit to 



10 THE SOUL'S C0NIL1CT WITH ITSELF. " 

deliberate, till his heart be purged of false aims: for 
£ God will give him up to the darkness of his own 
spirit, and he will be always warping unfit for any 
Was Where the aims are good, there God dehghteth 
to reveal his good pleasure. Such a soul .s level and 
ui abL to any good counsel that shall be given : and 
prepared to entertain it. In what measure any lust .s . 
favoured, iu that measure the soul is darkened E en 
wise Solomon, whilst he gave way to his lust, had like f 
to have lost his wisdom. . 

We must look to our place, wherein _ God hath set 
us . if we be in subjection to others, their authority 
ough to sway with us. Neither is it the calhng of 
thTse that are subjects, to inquire over-cunously into 
Se mysteries of government : for that both in peace 
and war, breeds much disturbance, and would trouble 

31 Thflaws under which we live, are particular deter- 
^nations of the law of God, ,i a some duties ; of the 
second table. For example, the law of God say», Ex- 
it no Ze than what il thy due. But what in par- 
ticular is thy due : and what another man s, the laws 
SSi deSmine, and therefore ought to be a rule 
££5, so far as they reach : though it be too nar- 
row a rule to be good, only so far as man' , , te» 'guide 
unto: yet law being the joint reason and consent of 
many men for public good, hath an use for guidance 
o? an actions that fall under the same: where it 
dashes not against God's law: what is agreeable to 
law, is agreeable to conscience. 

The liw of God in the due enlargement of it, to 
the least beginning and occasions, is exceeding broad, 
and aUows of whatever stands with the light of reason, 
or the bounds of humility civility, and whatso- 
ever is against these, is so far against God s law. bo 
S higher rules be looked to in the first place, there 
L nothing lovely, or praise-worthy among men, but 
ought to be seriously thought on. _ 

Sure of itself is wild and untamed, and impatient 
of ihe yoke : but as beasts that cannot endure the yoke 
at St, after they are Inured awhile unto >t, bear it 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF, 146 

willingly, and carry their work more easily by it $ so 
the yoke of obedience, makes the life regular and 
quiet. The meeting of authority, and obedience to- 
gether, maintains the order and peace of the world. 
So much for that question. 

5. Though blindfold obedience, such as our adver- 
saries would have, be such as will never stand with 
sound peace of conscience,, which always looks to have 
light to direct it ; (for else a blind conscience would 
breed blind fears) yet in such doubtful cases, wherein 
we cannot wind out ourselves, we ought to light our 
candles at others, whom we have cause to think by 
their places and parts, should see farther than we. In 
matters of outward estate, we will have men skilful, 
of our counsel $ and Christians would find more sound 
peace, if they would advise with their godly and learn* 
ed pastors and friends. Where there is not a direct 
word, there is place for the counsel of a prudent man. 
And it is a happiness for them whose business is much 
and parts not large, to have the benefit of those that 
can give aim, and see further than themselves. The 
meanest Christian understands his own way and knows 
how to do things with better advantage to his soul, 
than a graceless though learned man ; yet is still glad 
of further discovery. In counsel there is peace, the 
thoughts being thus established. 

When we have advised and served God's providence 
in the use of means, then if it fall out otherwise to 
our grief we may say, it was the fruit of our own 
rashness. 

Where we have cause to think that we have used 
better means in the search of grounds, and are more 
free from partial affections than others : there we may 
use our own advice more safely. Otherwise what we 
do by consent from others, is more secure and less 
offensive, as being more countenanced. 

In advice with others, it is not sufficient to be gene- 
rally wise, but experienced and knowing in that we 
ask which is an honour to God's gifts, where we 
find them in any kind. When we set about things in 
passion, we work not as men or Christians, but in a 



U6 THE soul's conflict with itself. 

bestial manner 5 the more passion, the less discretion j 
because passion hinders the sight of what is to be done ; 
it clouds the soul, and puts it on to action without ad- 
visement. Where passions are subdued, and the soui 
purged and cleared, there is nothing to hinder the im- 
pression of God's Spirit 3 the soul is fitted as a clean 
crlass to receive light from above. And that is the 
reason, why mortified men are fittest to advise with, 
in the particular cases incident to a Christian life. 

6. After all advice, extract what is fittest, and what 
our spirits do most bend unto-: for in things that con- 
cern ourselves, God affords a light to discern out of 
what is spoken, what best suiteth us. And every 
man is to follow most what his own conscience, after 
information, dictates unto him 5 because conscience is 
God's deputy in us, and under God, most to be re- 
garded 5 and whosoever sins against it, in his own con- 
struction, sins against God. God vouchsafeth every 
Christian, in some degree, the grace of spiritual pru- 
dence, whereby they are enabled to discern, what is 
fittest to be done in things that fall within their 

compass. ■ , B , c 

7. It is good to observe the particular becks of pro- 
vidence, how things join and meet together: fit occa- 
sions and suiting of things, are intimations of God s 
will. Providence hath a language, which is well un- 
derstood bv those that hath a familiar acquaintance 
with God's dealing, they see a train of providence, 
leading one way more than another. ^ # 

8 To take special heed of not grieving the Spirit, 
when he offers to be our guide, by studying evasions, 
and wishing the case were otherwise. This is to be 
law-givers to ourselves, thinking that we are wiser 
than God. The use of discretion is not to direct us 
about the end, whether we should do well or ill, (for 
a single heart always aims at good :) but when we 
resolve upon doing well, and yet doubt of the manner 
how to perform it : discretion looks not so much to 
what is lawful, (for that is taken for granted J but 
what is most expedient. A discreet man looks not to 
what is best, so much as what is fittest, in such and 
such respects : by eyeing circumstances, which it 



THE SOTJX/S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 14? 

they sort not, do vary the very nature of the thing 
itself. 

And because it is not in man to know his own 
ways, we should look up unto Christ, the great Coun* 
sellor of his Church, to vouchsafe the Spirit of counsel 
and direction to us, that may make our way plain be- 
fore us, by suggesting unto us, This is the iuay 9 walk 
ye in it. We owe God this respect, to depend upon 
him for direction in the particular passages of our 
lives, in regard that he is our Sovereign, and his will is 
the rule, and we are to be accountable to him as our 
Judge. It is God only that can see through businesses^ 
and all helps and lets that stand about. 

After we have rolled ourselves upon God, we should 
immediately take that course he inclines our hearts 
unto, without further distracting fear. Otherwise it 
is a sign we commit not our way unto him, but re- 
main still as thoughtful, as if we did not trust him. 
After prayer and trust, follows the peace of God, PhiL 
ii. 4. and a heart void of further dividing care. We 
should therefore presently question our hearts, for 
questioning his care j and not regard what fear will be 
ready to suggest, for that is apt to raise conclusions 
against ourselves, out of self-conceited grounds, where- 
by we usurp upon God, and wrong ourselves. 

It was a good resolution of the three young men in 
Daniel iii. We are not careful to answer thee, O King. 
We know our duty; let God do with us as he pleas- 
eth. If Abraham had hearkened to the voice of na- 
ture, he would never have resolved to sacrifice Isaac, 
but because he cast himself upon God's providing, God 
in the mount provided a Ram, instead of his Son, 



US THE SOOfS CONFLICT WITH fltflftft 

CHAP. XVIII. ; 

a*. «f trudine in God} namely, the Pro- 



SEtJT. I. 



ters, as he "£ 8 £g the orde r and use of things ; 
vidence of God appeals in 1 k the 

yet there u another ' J^ b f owards him: We 

fore from the same fg^J$ ^ for else ie can 

r Ve l haV Tlf a ^5eCsted therefore hath God open- 
fers himself to be trustea. reac hed out so 

ed his heart to us in his js or , andst0 op- 
T y C e 7b r nr5ou TondSending mixed with 

6d t° •? % s tn enter into a covenant with us, to per- 
authory) as to enter = fe es ft 

form all things toio k i mpe rfect condition ; 

W T: o t fahh in Km! UnSl all promises shall end in 
and so is laith w .in . fa ^ ossessl0 n. 

*?fSE^SSS A i- For tLir springfrom 
.hence they pried. ^ ^t^ey 

f 6 of all things that conduce to happiness: 

la T \ For Sbeir v Ir ue, quickening and strengthen- 
Z££ s^ul • a'J coming'trom the love of God, and 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 14Q' 

conveying that love unto us by his Spirit in the best 
fruits thereof: and, 5. For their certainty, they are 
as sure as the love of God in Christ is ; upon which 
they are founded, and from which nothing can sepa- 
rate us, Rom. viii. 39. For all promises, are either 
Christ himself, (the promised seed) or else they are 
of good things made to us in him, and for him, and 
accomplished for his sake y they are all made first la 
him as Heir of the promise, as Angel of the covenant^ 
as Head of his body, and as our Elder brother, &c. 
for promises being the fruits of God's love, and God's 
love being founded first on Christ, it must needs fol- 
low that all the promises are both made, and made 
good to us in and through him, who is yesterday and 
to-day, and for ever the same, Heb. xiii. 8. 

That we should not call God's love into question, 
he not only gives us his word, but a binding word;, 
his promise 5 and not only a naked promise, but hatfe 
entered into covenant with us, founded upon full sa- 
tisfaction of the blood of Christ 5 and unto this cove- 
venant sealed by the blood of the Lord Jesus, he hath 
added the seals of sacraments : and unto this he hath 
added his oath, that there might be no place left of 
doubting to the distrustful heart of man : there is no> 
way of securing promises amongst men, but God hath 
taken the same to himself: and all to this end, that we 
might not only know his mind towards us, but be 
fully persuaded of it : that as verily as he lives, he will 
make good whatever he hath promised for the com* 
fort of his children. What greater assurance can 
there be, than for Being itself to lay his being to pawn ! 
and for Life itself to lay life to pawn, and all to com- 
fort a poor soul ! 

The boundless and restless desire of man's spirit, 
will never be stayed without some discovery of the 
chief good, and the way to attain the same: men 
would have been in darkness about their final condi- 
tion, and the way to please God and to pacify and 
purge their consciences had not the word of God set 
down the spring and cause of all evil, together with 
the cure of it, and directed us how to have communion 
with God, and to raise ourselves above all the evil 



150 THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF • 

which we meet withal betwixt us and happiness, an4 
to make us every way wise to salvation. Hence it is^ 
that the Psalmist prefers the manifestation of God by 
his word, before the manifestation of him in his most 
glorious works, Psal. xix. 7- 

And thus we see the necessity of a double principle 
for faith to rely on, 1. God, and, 2. The word of 
God, revealing his will unto us, and directing us to 
make use of all his attributes, relations, and providence 
for our good: and this word hath its strength from 
him who gives a being and an accomplishment unto 
it : for words are as the authority of him that uttereth 
them is : when we look upon a grant in the word of 
a king, it stays our minds, because we know he is 
able to make it good : and why should it not satisfy 
our souls to look upon promises in the word of a God ? 
whose words, as they come from his truth, and express 
his goodness, so they are all made good by his power 
and wisdom. 

By the bare word of God it is, that the heavens con- 
tinue, and the earth (without any other foundation) 
hano-s in the midst of the world ; therefore well may 
the soul stay itself on that, even when it hath nothing 
else in sight to rely upon : by his word it is, that the 
covenant of day and night, and the preservation of the 
world from any further overflowing of waters conti- 
nued! ; which if it should fait, yet his covenant with 
his people should abide firm for ever, though the whoie 
frame of nature were dissolved. # 

When we have thus gotten a fit foundation tor the 
soul to lay itself upon ; our next care must be by trust- 
in?, to buiid.on the same : all our misery is either m 
having a false foundation, or else in loose building 
upon a true ; therefore having so strong a ground as 
God's nature, his providence, his promise, &c. to 
build upon, the only way for establishing our souls is, 
by trust to rely firmly on him. m . 

Now the reason why trust is so much required, is 
because, I . It emptieth the soul j and. 2 By emp- 
tying, eniargeth it; and, 3. Seasonetn and fitteth the 
soul to join with so gracious an object ; and, 4. Filleth 
•t by carrying it out of itself unto God, who presently 



THE SOUL'S- CONFLICT WITH ITSELF, 



151 



(so soon as he is trusted in) conveys himself and his 
goodness to the soul 5 and thus we come to have the 
comfort 5 and God the glory of all his excellencies. 
Thus salvation comes to be sure unto us, whilst faith 
looking to the promises (and to God freely offering 
grace therein) resigns up itself to God, making no fur- 
ther question from any un worthiness of its own. 

And thus we return to God by cleaving to him, 
from whom we fell by distrust, living under a new 
covenant merely of grace, Jer. i 3. and no grace fitter 
than that which gives all to Christ, considering the 
fountain of all our good is (out of ourselves) : n him, 
it being safest for us (who were so ill husbands at the 
first) that it should be so therefore it is fit we should 
have use of such a grace that will carry us out of our- 
selves to the spring head. 

The way then whereby faith quieteth the soul, is, 
by rais'ng it above all discontentments and storms here 
below, and pitching it upon God, thereby uniting it to 
him, whence it draws virtue to oppose and bring under 
whatsoever troubles its peace. For the soul is made 
for God, and never finds rest till it returns to him 
again 5 when God and the soul meet, there will fol- 
low contentment : God (simply considered) is not all 
our happiness, but God as trusted in ; and Christ, as 
we are made one with him : the soul cannot so much 
as touch the hem of Christ's garment, but it shall find 
virtue coming from him to sanctify and settle it ; God 
in Christ is full of all that is good ; when the soul is 
emptied, enlarged and opened by faith to receive good- 
ness offered, there must needs follow sweet satisfaction. 



Sect. IL 

FOR the better strengthening of our trust ; it is not 
sufficient that we trust in God and his truth revealed, 
but we must do it by light and strength from him \ 
many believe in the truth by human arguments, but 
no arguments will convince the soul but such as ara 
fetched from the inward nature, and powerful work 



152 THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF, 

of truth itself: no man can know God, but by God ; 
none can know the sun, but by its own light ; none 
can know the truth of God (so as to build upon it) but 
by the truth itself, and the Spirit revealing it by us own 
light to the soul : that soul which hath felt the power 
of truth in casting it down, and raising it up again, 
will easily be brought to rest upon it : it is neither 
education, nor the authority of others that profess the 
same truth, or that we have been so taught by men of 
great parts, &c. will settle the heart, until we find an 
toward power and authority in the truth itself, shining 
in our hearts by its own beams ; hence comes unset- 
tledness in time of troubles, because we have not a spi- 
ritual discerning of spiritual things. Supernatural 
truths must have a supernatural power to apprehend 
them | therefore God createth a spiritual eye and hand 
of the' soul, which is faith. . 

In those that are truly converted, all saving truths 
are transcribed out of the Scripture into their hearts 
ihey are taught of God, Isa. liv. 13. so as they find ah 
truths both concerning the sinful estate, and the gra- 
cious and happy estate of man in themselves; they 
carry a divinity in them and about them, so as from 
a savin- feeling they can speak of conversion, of sin, 
of grace, and the comforts of the Spirit &c. and from 
Sif acquaintance are ready to yield, and give up them- 
selves to truth revealed, and to God speaking by it 
? ust is never fonnd but upon a spiritual convict. on of 
the t u h and goodness we rely upon , for the ^effecting 
of wS, the°Spirit of God must likewise sobdue tne 
Jebdlion and malice of our will, that so it may be 
-unable and level to divine things, and relish them as 
ly are 2. We must apprehend the love of God and 
1 ; 7 fmft of it as better than life itself; and then choos- 
ne and cleaving to the same will soon follow : for as 
there S a fitness in divine truths to all the necessities 
nf the soul so that soul must be fitted by them, to 
favour and' apply them to itself; and then from an 
ha, mon y between the soul and that which it applies 
3X>; there will follow not only peace ,n the 
soul but joy and delight surpassing any contentment ,n 
. the world besides. 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 15& 

3. As there is in God to satisfy the whole soul, so 
trust the whole soul to God ; this makes trust not so 
easy a matter, because there must be an exercise of 
every faculty of the soul,, or else our trust is imperfect 
and lame 3 there must be a knowledge of him whom, 
we trust, and why we trust, an affiance and love, 8cc 
Only they that know God, will trust in him ; not that 
knowledge alone is sufficients but because the sweets 
ness of God's love is let into the soul thereby, which 
draweth the whole soul to him : we are bidden to tru«t 
perfectly in God 5 therefore seeing we have a God so 
full of perfection to trust m* we should labour to trust 
perfectly in him. 

4. Audit is good for the exercise of trust to put 
cases to ourselves of things that probably may fall 
out y and then return to our souls, to search what 
strength we have if suck things should come to pass - 
thus David puts- cases, Psal. hi. 6 and xxvii. 3 and 
xlvi. 3. Perfect faith dares put the hardest cases to 
its soul, and then set God against all that can befat 
it. Again,. 

5. Labour to fit the promise to every condition thou, 
art in 5 there is no condition but hath a promise suit- 
able, therefore no condition but wherein God may be 
trusted, because his truth and goodness is always the 
same 3 and in the promise, look both to the pood nro- 
mised, and to the faithfulness and love of the Momiser ■ 
it is not good to look upon the difficulty of the thin^ 
we have a promise against, but who promised! it and 
tor whose sake, and, and so to see all good things in 
Christ made over to us. to m 

6 We should labour likewise for a single heart to- 
trust in God only j there is no readier way to fall than 
to trust equally to two. stays, whereof one is roS 
and the other sound f therefore as in point of doctS 
we are to rely upon Christ only, and to make 
scripture our rule only : so in life and conversation 
whatever we make use of yet we should enjoy and relv 
upon God only - those that trust to other AinoJ iitK- 
God, trust not him but upon pretence to carry the£ 
double minds with less check. 7 mm * 

H.5 



154 THST soul's conflict with itself. 

7 A*ain, labour that thy soul may answer all the 
relation^ wherein it stands to God, by cleavmg to h.m 
i As a Father, by trusting on his care ; 2. As a 
Tender by following his direction ; 3. As a Creator, 
W^pendance on hi' : 4. As a Husband by insepa- 
rable affection of love to him ; 5. As a Lord by obedi- 
ence &c. And then we may with comfort expect 
SJeveraood these relations can yield: all wnich, 
GodSSing more onr wants, and weaknesses, than 
£ o vn harness, hath taken upon him. Shall these 
re ladonslield comfort from the creature and not from 
God Self, in whom they are in their highest perfec- 
? n > Shall God make other fathers and husbands 
Sthful! and not be faithful himself ? All our comfort 
£^nds upon labouring to make these relations good 

^rAndts' we must wholly and only trust in God 
sohkewise we must trust him m all conditions and 
toes for all things that we stand in need of j until 
ihTtime comes, wherein we shall stand m need of 
Shin- fo? as the same care of God moved h.mto 
sav e us, and to preserve us in the world till we be but 
tn nossession of salvation : so the same faith relies 
™ Go for heaven and all necessary provision t,U we 
come th'ther. It is the office of faith to quiet our souls 
Sail the necessities of this life, and we have contmual 
nse of trusting while we are here : for even when we 
tave tWn«, V God still keeps the blessing of tbem 
W his owl hands, to hold us in a continual dependence 
ITS, God trains us up this way, by exercising 
StrusTin lesser matters, to tit us tor -greater ; thus 
U nlea eth God to keep ns in a depending condition 
until he see his own time 5 but so good ,s God that 
« he intends to give us what we wait for, so w.ll he 
graced spirit of faith, to sustain 0m souls 

God deforr/ therefore we should labour the more not 
to withdraw our attendance from t,od. Imrther, 
*° q We must know, that the condition or a christian 
i„?his life is not to see what he trusts God for; He 
ZTly fai* and not ty sight, 2 Cor. v. V and yet 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 



155 



that there is such a virtue in faith, which makes evident 
and present, things to come and unseen : because God^ 
where he gives an eye of faith ,. gives also a glass of the 
Word to see things in ; and by seeing of them, in the 
truth and power of him that promiseth,. they become 
present, not only to the understanding to apprehend 
them, but to the will to rest upon* them, and to the 
affections to joy in them : it is the nature of faith to 
work, when it seeth nothing, and oftentimes best of 
all then 5 because God shews himself more clearly in^ 
his power, wisdom, and goodness* at such times p 
and so his glory shines most, and faith hath nothing 
else to look upon them ; whereupon it gathers all the 
forces of the soul together, to fasten upon God; 

It should therefore be the chief care of a Christian,, 
to strengthen his faith, that so it may answer God's 
manner of dealing with him in the worst times : for^ 
God usually (1. That he might perfectly mortify our 
confidence in the creature 5 and, 2. That he might 
the more endear his favours, and make them fresh 
and new unto us j and, 3. That the glory of deliver- 
ance maybe entirely his, without, the creatures shar- 
ing with him 3 and, 4. That our faith and obedience - 
may be tried to the uttermost, and discovered) suffers 
his children to fall into great extremities before he will 
reach forth his hand to help them y as in Job's ease, &c. 
Therefore Christians should much labour their hearts to 
trust in God, in the deepest extremities that may befai 
them, even when no light of comfort appears * either 
from within or without y yea, then (especially) when 
all other comforts fail : despair is oft the ground of 
hope \ when the darkness of the night is thickest, then 
the morning begins to dawn .5 that which (to a man 
unacquainted with Gods's dealings) is a ground of utter 
despair, the same (to a man acquainted to the ways-of* 
God) is a rise of exceeding comfort; for infinite power- 
and goodness can never be at a loss, neither can faith 
which looks to that, ever be at a stand 3 whence it is' 
that both God and faith work best alone : in a hopeless 
estate, a Christian will see some door of hope opened : 
1. Because God shews himself nearest to us, when we 
stand , most in need of him 5 Help Lord, for vain *g 



156 THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSEL*. 

the help of man, Psal. xxxi. 7- God is never more seen 
han in the mount : he knows our souls best, and our 
ouls know him best in adversity; then he is most 
wonderful in his saints: 2 Because onr graven ahen 
are (strong cries) fervent and frequent ; God is sure to 
hear of us°at such a time ; which pleaseth him well, 
as delighting to hear the voice of Ins beloved. 

10 For our better encouragement in these sad tunes, 
and to help our trust in God the more, we should often 
Sail to mind the former experiences, which e.ther 
ourselves or others have had of God's goodness, and 
make use of the same for our spiritua good ; Our 
/i, trusted in thee, (saith the Head ot the Church) 
and were not confounded, Psal. xxu. 4. God s truth 
Ed goodness is unchangeable, He never l^esjhose 
Tat trust in him, Psal. ix. 10 so likewise m our own 
expe ences, we should take notice of God's deahngs 
with us in sundry kinds , how many way s he bath re- 
freshed us, and how good we have found him in our 
Vo orst times • after we have once tned him and his 
2? we may safelv trust him : God will stand upon 
E credTt? he never failed any yet, arid he will not begin 
to break with us : if his nature and his word, and h s 
former dealing, hath been sure and square why should 
our hearts be wavering ? Thy word sa.th the Psalm, t 
is very pure, (or tried) therefore thy servants loveth tt 
Psa' Lix. 140. the word of God is as silver tried m 

iSS? ZtSZXA 

agree "^Wg of the mh 0 f Christians, if 
S^oSitn^SS one to another their mutual 
expediences ; this hath formerly been the custom of 
God= people: Come and hear all ye that jear God, 
*5i will declare what he hath done for my soul, Psal. 

1/7 A d David urgeth this as a reason to God to r 
le veLce that «nen I righteous would compass hrm 
ninVt Z re Voicing in the experience of God's goodness 
to h m hi want of this makes us upon any new 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF* 157 

trial to call God's care and love into question, as if he 
had never formerly been good unto us ; whereas every 
experiment of God's love should refresh our faith upon 
any fresh onset \ God is so good to his children, even 
in this world, that he trains them up by daily renewed 
experiences of his fatherly care ; for besides those many 
promises of good things to come, he gives us some 
evidence and taste of what we believe, here; that by 
that which we feel we might be strengthened in that 
we look for, that so in both (1 , Sense of what we feel 3 
and, 2. Certainty of what we look for) we might have 
full support. 

11. But yet we must trust God, as he will be trust- 
ed, (namely, in doing good 3) or else, we do not trust 
him, but tempt him \ our commanding of . our souls to 
trust in God, is but an echo of what God commands us 
first 3 and therefore in the same manner he commands 
us, we should command ourselves. As God commands 
us to trust him in doing good, so should we commit 
our souls to him in well doing, and trust him when we 
are about his own works, and not in the works of 
darkness 3 we may safely expect God in his ways of 
mercy, when we are in his ways of obedience 3 for 
religion as it is a doctrine of what is to be believed, so 
it is a doctrine according to godliness 3 and the mys- 
teries of faith are mysteries of godliness, because they 
cannot be believed, but they will enforce a godly con- 
versation 3 where any true impresssion of them is, there 
is holiness always bred in that soul 3 therefore a study 
of holiness must go jointly together with a study of 
trusting in God : faith looks not only to promises, but 
to directions to duty, and breeds in the soul a liking of 
whatsoever pleaseth God : there is a mutual strength- 
ening in things that are good 3 trusting stirs to duty, 
and duty strengthens trusting, 'by increasing our liberty 
and boldness with God. 

12. Again, we must maintain in our souls, a high 
esteem of the grace of faith, the very trial whereof is 
more precious than gold, 1 Pet. i. 7- What then is 
the grace of faith itself, and the promises it layeth hold 
on ? Certainly they transcend in worth whatever may 
dr&w us from God : whence it is, that the soul sets sto 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF, 158 

high price upon them, and on faith, that believes them ;t 
k \& impossible that any thing in the world should 
come betwixt the heart and those things (if once we 
truly lay hold on them) to undermine faith or the com- 
fort we have by it ; the heart is never drawn to any 
sinful vanity, or frighted with any terror of trouble, 
till faith first loseth the sight and 'estimation of divine 
things, and forgets the necessity and excellency of 
them. Our Saviour Christ, when he would stir up a 
desire of faith in his disciples, shewed them the power 
and excellency of the same, Lukexvii. 6. Great things 
stir up faith and keep it above 5 and faith keeps the 
soul that nothing else can take place of abode in it : 
when the great things of God are brought into the 
heart by faith, Hos. viii. 12. what is there in the 
whole world that can outbid them? Assurance of 
these things upon spiritual grounds, overrules both 
sense and reason, or whatever else prevails with,, 
carnal hearts. 



CHAP. XIX. 

Faith, to be - prized,, and- other things undervalued, at 
least 7iot to be trusted to as the chief 

r £ , HAT faith may take the better place in the soul, 
and the soul in God 5 the heart must continually be 
taught of what little worth all things eke are ; as re- 
putation, riches, and pleasures, kc. and to see their 
nothingness in the word of God, and inexperience of 
ourselves and others^ that so our heart being weaned 
from these things* may open itself to God, and embrace 
things of an higher nature 3 otherwise baser things wiiL 
be nearer the soul than faith, and keep possession 
against it, so that faith will not be suffered to set up a 
tin-one in the heart : there must be an unloosing of the 
heart, as well as a fastening of it, and God help us in 
both : for (besides the word discovering the vanity of 
all things else out of God) the main scope of God & - 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF, 



dealing with his children, in any danger, or affliction 
whatsoever , is to embitter all other things but himself 
unto them : indeed it is the power of God properly, 
which makes the heart to trust 3 but yet the Spirit of 
God useth this way to bring all things else out of re- 
quest with us, in comparison of those inestimable good 
things, which the soul is created, redeemed, and sanc- 
tified for. God is very jealous of our trust, and can 
endure no idol of jealousy to be set up in our hearts. 
Therefore it behoves us to take notice, not only of the 
deceitfnlness of things, but of the deceitfulness of our 
hearts in them : our hearts naturally hang loose from 
God, and are soon ready to join with the creature : now 
the more we observe our hearts in this, the more we 
take them off, and labour to set them where they 
should be placed 5 for the more we know these things, 
the less we shall trust them. 

Oljec. But may we not trust in riches, and friends, 
and other outward helps at all ? 

Answ. Yes, so far as they are subordinate to God 
our chief stay, with reservation and submission to the 
Lord ; only so far, and so long as it shall please him 
to use them for our good. Because God ordinarily 
conveys his help and goodness to us by some creature 3 
we must trust in God to bless every mercy we enjoy, 
and to make all helps serviceable to his love towards 
us. In a word, we must trust and use them in and 
under God, and so as if all were taken away, yet to 
think God (being all-sufficient - can do without them, 
whatsoever he doth by them for our good. Faith pre- 
serves the chastity of the soul, and cleavinf to God is a 
spiritual debt which it oweth to him 3 whereas cleaving 
to the creature is spiritual adultery. 

1. It is an error in the foundation, to substitute 
false objects either in religion, or in Christian conver- 
sation : for, 1. In religion, trusting in false object^ 
as saints, and works, &c. breeds false worship, and 
false worship breeds idolatry, and s© God's jealousy, 
and hatred 2, In Christian conversation, false- objects 
of trust, breeds false comforts, and true fears : for 1 
what measure we trust in any things that is uncertain^ 
in the same measure w.ill our grief be when.it fails vuu 



100 THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF, 



the more men rely upon deceitful crutches, the greater 
is their fall : God can neither endure false objects, nor. 
a double object, (as hath been shewed) for a man to 
rely upon any thing equally in the same rank with him- 
self: for the propounding of a double object, argues a 
double heart, and a double heart is unsettled, Jam. i. 
8. for it will regard God no longer than it can enjoy 
that which it joins together with him : therefore it is 
said, You cannot serve two masters , Luke xvi. 13, not 
subordinate one to another : whence it was, that our 
Saviour told those worldly men who followed him, 
That they could not lelieve in him, because they sought 
honour one of another, John v. 44. and in case of com- 
petition, if their honour and reputation should come 
into question, they would be sure to be false to Christy 
and rather part with him than their own credit and es- 
teem in the world. 

David (here) by charging his soul to trust in God, 
saw there was nothing else that could bring true rest 
and quiet unto him : for whatsoever is besides God,, 
is but a creature : and whatever is in the creature, is 
but borrowed, and at God's disposing, and changeable, 
or efee it were not a creature : David saw his error: 
soon, for the ground of his disquiet was trusting some- 
thing else besides God ; therefore when he began to 
say, My hill is strong, I shall not he moved, Psal. xxx. 
Q. then presently his soul was troubled. Out of God 
there.is nothing fit for the soul to stay itself upon r fory 

1. Outward things are not fitted to the spiritual 
nature of the soul j they are dead things, and cannot 
touch, it being a lively spirit, unless by way of taint. 

2. They are beneath the worth of the soul, and 
therefore debase the soul, and draw it lower than: 
itself: as a noble woman, by matching with a mean 
person, much injures herself, especially when higher 
matches are offered. Earthly things are not given for. 
stays wholly to rest on y but for comforts in our way to 
heaven : they are no more fit for the soul, than that 
which hath many angles is fit to fill up that which is 
round, which it cannot do, because of the unevenness 
and void places that will remain : outward things are 
never, so weU fitted for the soul, but that the soul will 



SHE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 101 

presently see some voidness and emptiness in them 3 
and in itself in cleaving to them : for that which shall 
be a fit object for the soul, must be, 1. For the nature 
of it spiritual, (as the soul itself is) 2. Constant : 3. 
Full, and satisfying : 4. Of equal continuance with it : 
and, 5. Always yielding fresh contents : we cast away 
flowers, after once we have had the sweetness of them,, 
because there is not still a fresh supply of sweetness. 
Whatever comfort is in the creature, the soul will 
spend quickly, and look still. for more : whereas the 
comfort we have in God is undefiled, and fadeth not 
away : how can we trust to that for comfort, which by 
very trusting proves uncomfortable to us ? Outward 
things are only so far forth good, as we do not trust m 
them : thorns may be touched, but not rested on, for 
then they will pierce : we must not set our hearts upon 
those things which are never evil to us, but when we 
set our hearts upon them, Psal. Ixii. 10. 

By trusting any thing but God we make it, 1. An 
idol i 2. A curse, and not a blessing : 3. It will prove 
a lying vanity, .not yielding that good which we look 
for ; and, 4. A vexation, bringing that evil upon us 
we look not for. 

Of ail men, Solomon was the fittest to judge of this 5 
because, 1. He had a large heart able to comprehend 
the variety of things ; and, 2. (being a mighty king) 
had advantages of procuring all outward things that 
might give him satisfaction 5 and, 3. He had a desire 
answerable, to search out and extract whatever good 
the creature could yield ; and yet upon the trial of all, 
he passeth his verdict upon all, that they are hut vanity, 
Eccles. t. 2. Whilst he laboured to find that which he 
sought for in them, he had like to have lost himself f 
and seeking too much to strengthen himself by foreign 
combination, he weakened himself the more thereby, 
until he came to know where the whole of man consists, 
Eccles. xii. 13. So that now we need not try further 
conclusions after the peremptory sentence of so wise 
a man. 

But our nature is still apt to think there is some 
secret good in the forbidden fruit, and to buy wisdom 



162 the soul's conflict with itself, 



dearly, when we might have it at a cheaper rate, eves, 
from former universal experience. 

It is a matter both to be wondered at, and pitied* 
that the soul having God in Christ set before it, allur- 
ing it unto him, that he might raise it, enlarge it, and 
{ill it, and so make it above other things 5 should yet 
debase and make itself narrower and weaker by leaning 
to things meaner than itself. £ 

The kingdom, sovereignty, and large command of 
man, conttnueth while he rests upon God, in whom 
he reigns (in some sort) over all things under him ; 
but so soon as lie removes from God ro any thing else,, 
he becomes weak, and narrow, and slavish presently 1 

The soul is as that which it relies upon 5 it on 
vanity, iUelf becomes vain ; for that which contents- 
the soul must satisfy all the wants and desires of it, 
which no particular thing can do, and the soul is more 
sensible of a little thing that it wants, than of all other 
things which it enjoys. 

But see the insufficiency of all other things (out of 
God) to support the soul, in their several degrees. 1. 
All outward things can make a man no happier than 
outward things can do, they cannot reach beyond their 
proper sphere : but our greatest grievances are spiritual. 
2 r And as for inward things, whether gifts or graces, 
they cannot be a sufficient stay for the mind : tor, I.. 
Gifts, as policy and wisdom, &c. they are at the best 
very defective, especially when we trust in them, Isa. 
sdvii. 10 For wisdom makes men often to rebel, 
and thereupon God delighteth to blast their projects : 
none miscarry oftener than men of the greatest parts ; 
as none are oftener drowned than those that are most 
skilful in swimming, because it makes them confident. 

2. And for grace, though it be the beginning of a 
new creature in us, yet it is but a creature, and there- 
fore not to be trusted in, nay by trusting in it we imbase- 
it, and make it more imperfect; so far as there is 
truth of grace, it breeds distrust of ourselves, and car- 
ries the soul out of itself to the fountain of strength. 

3. And for any works that proceed from grace, by 
trusting thereunto they prove like the reed of Egypt, 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. l&S 



which not only deceives us, but hurts us with the 
splinters: good works are good, but confidence in 
them is hurtful y and there is more of our own in 
them (for the most part) to humble us, than God's 
Spirit to embolden us so far as to trust in them. Alas, 
they have nothing from us, but weakness and defile- 
ment ; and therefore since the fall, God would have 
the object of our trust to be (out of ourselves) in him > 
and to that purpose he useth ail means to take us out 
of ourselves, and from the creature, that he only might 
be our trust. 

4. Yea, we must not trust itself, but God whom it 
relies on, who is therefore called our trust. All the 
glorious things that are spoken of trust are only made 
good by God in Christ, who (as trusted) doth all 
for us. 

God hath prescribed trust as the way to carry our 
souls to himself, in whom we should only rely, and 
not in our imperfect trust, which hath its ebbing and 
flowing ; neither will trust in God himself for the pre- 
sent, suffice us for future strength and grace ; as if 
trusting in God to-day, would suffice to strengthen us 
for to-morrow 3 but we must renew our trust for fresh 
supply, upon every fresh occasion. So that we see God 
alone must be the object of our trust. 

There is still left in man's nature a desire of pleasure, 
profit, and of whatever the creature presents as good 5 
but the desire of gracious good is altogether lost, the 
soul being wholly infected with a contrary taste. Man 
hath a nature capable of excellency, and desirous of it, 
and the Spirit of God in and by the word, reveals where 
true excellency is to be had j but corrupt nature leaving 
God, seeketh it elsewhere, and so crosseth its own 
desires, till the Spirit of God discovers where these 
things are to be had ; and so nature is brought to its 
right frame again, by turning the stream into the right 
current : grace, and sinful nature, have the same 
general object of comfort ; only sinful nature seeks it 
in broken cisterns, and grace in the fountain : the 
beginning of our true happiness, is from the discovery 
of true and false objects, so as the soul may clearly see 
what is best and safest, and then steadfastly rely upon it, 



104 THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF, 



It were an happy way to make the soul better actr 
quainted with trusting in God, to labour to subdue at 
the first, all unruly inclinations of the soul to earthly 
things 3 and to take advantage of the first tenderness 
of the soul, to w eed out that which is ill, and to plant 
knowledge analiove of the best things in it : otherwise , 
where affections to any thing below get much strength 
in the soul, it will by little and little be so overgrown, 
that there will be no place left it, either tor (object or 
act) God or trust ; God cannot come to take his place 
in the heart by trust, but where the powers of the soul 
are brought under, to regard him, and .those great 
things he brings with him, above all things else in the 
world beside. . 

In these glorious times wherein so great a light 
shineth, whereby so great things are discovered, what 
a shame is it to be so narrow-hearted as to fix upon pre- 
sent things s our aims and aitections should be suitable, 
to the things themselves set before us : our hearts 
should be more and more enlarged, as things are more 
and more revealed to us : we see m the things of this 
life, as wisdom and experience mereaseth, so our aims 
and desires increase likewise : a young beginner thinks 
it a tfreat matter if he have a little to begm withal : but 
as he grows in trading and seeth further , ways of get- 
ting, his thoughts and desires are raised higher : chil- 
dren think as children, 1 Cor. xiii. II. but riper age 
puts away childishness, when their understandings are 
enlarged to see, what they did not see before: we 
should never rest till our hearts according to the mea- 
sure of revelation of those excellent things which God 
ha'h for us, have answerable apprehensions of the 
same Oh it we had but faith to answer those glorious 
truths which God hath revealed, what manner of lives, 
would we lead ! 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 103 



CHAP. XX. 

Of the method of trusting in God : and the trial of that 
trust. 

In the last place, (to add no more) our trusting in 
God should follow God's order in promising. The 
first promise is of forgiveness of sin to repenting believ- 
ers : next, 2. Of healing and sanctifying grace : then, 
3. The inheritance of the kingdom of heaven to them 
that are sanctified: 4. And then the promises of all 
things needful in our way to the kingdom, &c. Now 
answerably, the soul being enlightened to see its dan- 
ger, should look first to God's mercy in Christ pardon- 
ing sin, because sin only divides betwixt God and the 
soul : next, to the promises of grace for the leading of 
a Christian life, for true faith desires healing mercy, as 
pardoning mercy, and then to heaven, and all things 
that may bring us thither. 

By all this we see that it is not so easy a matter as 
the world takes it, to bring God and the soul together 
by trusting on him : it must be effected by the mighty 
power of God, Eph. i. 20. raising up the soul to him* 
self, to lay hold upon the glorious power, goodness., 
and other excellencies that are in him : God is not only 
the object, but the working cause of our trust ; for 
such is our proneness to live by sense, and natural rea- 
son, and such is the strangeness and height of divine 
things, such our inclination to'self-suniciency and con- 
tentment in the creature, and so hard a matter is it to 
take off the soul from false bottoms, by reason of our 
nn&equaintance with God and his ways ; besides such 
guilt still remains upon our souls for our rebellion and 
unkindness towards God ; that it makes us afraid to 
entertain serious thoughts of him : and so great is the 
distance betwixt his infinite Majesty (before whom the 
very angels do cover their faces) and us, by reason of 
the unspiritualness of our nature, being opposite to his 
most absolute purity, that we cannot be brought to 



■a 



im THE SOUL'S CONFLICT "WITH ITSELF. 

any familiarity with the Lord (so as to come into his 
holy presence with confidence to rely upon him, or 
any comfort to have communion witn him,) till our 
hearts be sanctified and lifted up by divine vigour infus- 

ed Tl!ou»hThere be some inclination, by reason of the 
remainder of the image of God in us, to an outward 
rSoral obedience of the law; yet alas, we have not 
only no seeds of evangelical truths, and of faith to 
believe them, but an utter contrariety in our nature, 
(as corrupted) either to this, or any other good. When 
our conduce is once awakened, we meditate no h.ng 
but fears and terrors, and dares not so much as think 
of an angry God, but rather how we may escape and 
fly from him. Therefore together with the deep con- 
sideration of the ground we have s of trusting God it s 
necessary we should think of the indisposition of om 
hearts'unto it, especially when there is greatest neea 
thereof, that so our hearts may be forced to put up 
£2 petition of the disciples to God , Lord, increase 
our faith, Lord, help us against our unbelieving hearts 
&c By prayer and holy thoughts stirred up in the use 
of means, we shall feel divine strength infused and con- 
veyed into our souls to trust. . 

The more care we ought to have to maintain our 
trust in God, because (besides the hardness of it) it is 
a radical and fundamental grace; it is as it were the 
mother root and great vein, whence the , exercise of ^11 
eraces have their beginning and strength. The decay 
of a plant, though It appears first from the , withering 
of the twigs and branches, yet it arises chiefly from a 
decay of the root , so the decay of grace may appear 
to the view first, in our company, carriage and 
speeches, &c. but the primitive and ong.nal ground 
of the same, is weakness of fa.th m the heart, ^there- 
fore it should be our wisdom, espec.ally, to look to 
the feeding of the root: we must 1. Look that our 
principles and foundation be good; and, 2. Build 
Songly upon them j and, 3. Repair our buildmg every 
^, g as 7 continual breaches shall be made upon us 
either by corruptions and temptations from witbm o 
without : and we shall find that the mam breaches of 



0 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 16? 



our lives arise, either from false principles, or doubts, 
or mindlessness of those that are true : all sin is a turn- 
ing of the soul from God to some other seeming good, 
but this proceeds from a former turning of the soul 
from God by distrust. As faith is the first return of 
the soul to God, so the first degree of departing from 
God is by infidelity, and from thence comes a depar- 
ture by other sins, by which (as sin is of a winding 
nature) our unbelief more increaseth, and so the rent 
and breach betwixt our souls and God, is made greater 
still, (which is that Satan would have) till at length 
by departing further and further from him, we come 
to have that peremptory sentence of everlasting depar- 
ture pronounced against us so that our departure from 
God now, is a degree to separation for ever from him. 
Therefore it is Satan's main care to come between God 
and the soul, that so unloosing us from God, we might 
more easily be drawn to other things ; and if he draws 
us to other things, it is but only to unloose our hearts 
from God the more ; for he well knows, whilst our 
soul cleaves close to God, there is no prevailing against 
us by any created policy or power. 

It was the cursed policy of Balaam, to advise Balak 
to draw the people from God (by fornication) that so 
God might be drawn from them : the sin of their base 
affections crept into the very spirits of their mind, and 
drew them from God to idolatry : bodily adultery 
makes way for spiritual : an unbelieving heart is an ill 
heart, and a treacherous heart 5 because it makes us to 
depart from God, the living God, Heb. in. 12. There- 
fore we should especially take heed of it, as we love 
our lives, yea our best life which ariseth from the 
union of onr souls with God. 

None so opposed as the Christian, and in a Christian, 
nothing so opposed as his faith' $ because it opposeth 
whatsoever opposes God, both within and without us : 
it captivates and brings under whatsoever rises up 
against God in the heart, and sets itself against what- 
soever makes head against the soul. 

And because a mistake is very dangerous;, and we 
are prone to conceive that to trust in God is an easy 
matter, therefore it is needful that we should have a 



16-8 THE soul's conflict with itself, 

right conceit of this trust, what ir is, and how it mtrt 
be discerned, lest we trust to an un trusty trust, and 

t0 We maTbySt hath been said before partly dis- 
cern the nWre of it, to be nothing else, but an exer ; 
cise of faith ; whereby looking to God and Chn, 
Srou°h the promises, we take off our souls from ail 
oXrTuppoA, and lay them upon God for £hv*»ce 
and upholding in all ill, present or future felt or fear 
ed ; and the obtaining ot all good, which God sees 

eXP Now n that we may discern the truth of our trust in 
God the better, . .... . , 

1. We must know, that true trust is willing to be 
tried and searched, and can say to God, as i David 
Now Lord, what wait I for, my hope ts in thee, Psal 
xxxix. 7. and as it is willing to come to trial, so it s 
able to endure trial, and to hold out in opposition as 
appears in David: if faith ^fPf^*£t*ft 
and rest upon it, say flesh and blood what it can to the 
contrary; true faith is as large as the promise and 
will take God's part against whatsoever opposes it 

2. And as faith singles not out one part of divine 
truth to believe, and rejects another so it relies upon 
God for every good thing, one as well ^ another he 
ground whereof is this, The same love of God that in- 
fends us heaven, intends us a supply of all necessar.es 

^S^f^** father will make him heir, 
doubts not but he will provide him food and nourish- 
ment, and give him breeding suitable to his future con- 
moh it I a vain pretence, to believe : that God wil 
give us heaven, and yet leave us to shift for ourselves 

^fwhere trust is rightly planted, it gives boldness 
to the soul in going to°God ■ for 1. It * 
upon the discovery of God's love firs to us, and seeth 
a warrant from him for whatsoever it trusts him for 
though the things themselves be never so great, ye. 
hey D are no greater than God is willing to bestow ; 
again, 2. Trust is bold, because it is grounoed upon 
«he worthiness of a Mediator, who hath made *av 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. l6g 

to God's favour for us, and appears now in heaven to 
maintain it towards us. 

4. Yet this boldness is with humility, which carries 
the soul oat of itself 3 and that boldness which the soul 
by trust hath with God, is from God himself ; it hath 
nothing to alledge from itself, but its own emptiness 
and God's fulness, its own sinfulness and God's mercy, 
its own humble obedience, and God's command 5 
hence it is, that the true believer's heart is not lifted 
up, nor swells with self-confidence 5 as trust comes, in^ 
that goes out ; trust is never planted and grows but in 
an humble and low soul 3 trust is a holy motion of the 
soul to God, and motion arises from want 3 those (and 
those only) seek out abroad that want succour at home : 
plants move not from place to place, because they find 
nourishment where they stand 3 but living creatures 
seek abroad for their food, and for that end have a 
power of moving from place to place 3 and this is the 
reason, why trust is expressed by going to God. 

5. Hereupon trust is a dependent grace, answerable 
to our dependent condition 5 it looks upon all things 
it hath or desires to have, as coming from God and his 
free grace and power 3 it desires not only wisdom, but 
to be wise in his wisdom, to see in his light, to ba 
strong in his strength 3 the thing itself contents not 
this grace of trust, but God's blessing and love in the 
thing 3 it cares not for any thing further than it can 
have it with God's favour and good liking. 

6. Hence it is, that trust is an obsequious and an 
observing grace, stirring up the soul to a desire of 
pleasing God ir all things, and to a fear of displeasing 
him : he that pretends to trust the Lord in a course of 
offending, may trust to this, that God will meet him 
in another way than he looks for : he that is a tenant 
at courtesie will not offend his Lord 3 hence it is that 
the Apostle en force th that exhortation, to work out 
our salvation with fear and trembling, Phil. i. 12, 13, 
because it is God that worketh the will and the deed^ 
and according to his good pleasure, not ours : therefore 
faith is an effectual working grace, it works in heaven 
with God, it works within us, commanding all the 

1 



IJO THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITsELF . 



powers of the soul, it works without us conquering 
whatsoever is in the world on the right hand to draw us 
from God, or on the left hand to discourage us ; it 
works against hell and the powers of darkness ; and all 
by virtue of trusting, as it draweth strength from God : 
It stirs up all other graces, and keeps them in exercise, 
and thereupon the acts of other graces are attributed to 
faith, asHeb xi. It breeds a holy jealousy t>ver our- 
selves, lest we give God just cause to stop the in- 
fluence of his grace towards us, so to let us see that 
we stand not by our own strength : those that take 
liberty in things they either know or doubt will dis- 
please God, shew they want the fear of God, and this 
want of fear shews their want of dependency, and 
therefore want of trust ; dependency is always very 
respective, it studieth contentment and care to comply y 
it was this made Enoch walk with God, and study how 
to please him, Heb. xii. 5. When we know nothing 
can do us good or hurt but God, it draws our chief 
care to approve ourselves to him. Obedience of faith, 
and obedience of life will go together; and therefore 
he that commits his soul to God to save, will commit 
his soul to God to sanctify and guide in* a way of well- 
pleasing, 1 Pet iv ISlot only the tame, but the most 
savage creatures, will be at the beck of those that feed 
them, though they are ready to fall violently upon 
others 5 disobedience therefore is against the principles 
of nature, . 

7 This dependency is either m the use ot means, or 
else' when means fail us; true dependency is exactly 
careful of all means. When God hath set down a 
course of means, we must not expect that God should 
alter his ordinary course of providence for us 5 deserved 
disappointment is the fruit of this presumptuous confi- 
dence : the more we depend on a wise physician, the 
more we will observe his directions, and be careful to 
use what he prescribes 5 yet we must use the means as 
means, and not set them in God's room, for that is the 
way to blast our hopes ; the way to have any thing 
taken away and not blest, is to set our hearts too 
much upon it. Too much grief in parting with any 
thing, shews too much trust in the enjoying of it; and 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSBLP. 1ft 

therefore he that uses the means in faith, wili always 
join prayer unto God, from whom, as every good 
thing comes, so likewise doth the blessing and success 
thereof : where much endeavour is, and little seeking 
to God, it shews there is little trust : the widow that 
trusted in God, continued likewise in prayers day and 
night, Tim. v. 5. 

The best discovery of our not relying two much on 
means, is, when all means fail, if we can still rely 
upon God, as being still where he was, and hath ways 
of his own for helping of us, either immediately from 
himself, or by setting awork other means (and those 
perhaps very unlikely) such as we think not of. God 
hath ways of his own. Abraham never honoured God 
more, than when he trusted m God for a son against 
the course of nature ; and when he had a son, was 
ready to sacrifice him, upon confidence that God would 
raise him from the dead again, Gen. xxii. 2. This 
was the ground upon which Daniel with such great 
authority reproved Balshazzar, that he had not a care 
to glorify God, in whose hand his breath was, and all 
his ways, Dan. v. 23. The greatest honour we can 
do unto God, is when we see nothing, but rather all 
contrary to what we look for ; then to shut our eyes to 
inferior things below, and look altogether upon his all 
sufficiency. God can convey himself more comfortable 
to us, when he pleaseth without means than by means. 
True trust, as it sets God highest in the sou], so in 
danger and wants it hath present recourse to him, as 
the conies to the rocks, Prov. xxx. 26. 

8. And because God's times and seasons are the best, 
it is an evidence of true trust, when we can wait God's 
leisure, and not make haste, and so run before God | 
for else, the most haste the worst speed : God seldom 
makes any promise to his children, but he exerciseth 
their trust in waiting long before ; as David for a king- 
dom, Abraham for a son, the whole world for Christ's 
coming, &c. 

2. Our main evidence of true trust in God, is here 
in the text ; we see here it hath a quieting and stilling 
virtue, for it stays the soul upon the fulness of God's 
lbve, joined with his ability to supply our wants and 
1 2 



172 THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSE1F. 

relieve our necessities, though faith doth not (at the 
first especially) so stay the soul as to take away all sus- 
picious fears of the contrary. There be so many th.ngs 
in fouble that press upon the soul as hinder the joining 
of God and it together , yet the prevailing of our un- 
belief is taken away, the reign of it is broken. If the 
touch of Christ in his abasement on earth, drew virtue 
from him, certain it is that faith cannot touch Christ in 
heaven, but it will draw a quieting and sanctifying 
virtue from him, whreh will in some measure stop the 
issues of an unquiet spirit. The needle in the compass 
will stand north, though with some trembling. 

A ship that lies at anchor, may be something tossed ; 
but yet it still remains so fastened, that it cannot be 
carried away by wind or weather ; the soul after it 
hath cast anchor upon God, may (as we see herein 
David} be disquieted awhile, but this unsettling tends 
to a deeper settling; the more we believe, the more 
we are established : faith is an establishing grace ; 
by faith we stand, and stand fast, and are able to with- 
stand whatsoever opposeth us. For what can stand 
against God, upon whose truth and power faith relies . 
The devil fears not us, but him whom we fly unto for 
succour ; it is the ground we stand on secures us, not 

ourselves. , , . 

As it is our happiness, so it must be our endeavour 
to bring the soul close to God, that nothing get 
between, for then the soul hath no true footing. 
When we step from God, Satan steps m by some 
temptation or other presently. It requires a great dea 
of self-denial, to bring a soul either swelling by carna 
„oandence, or sinking by fear and distrust, to lie level 
upon God, and cleave fast unto him : square will he fast 
upon square, but our hearts are so full of uneyenness, 
that God hath much ado to square our hearts fit for 
him; notwithstanding, the soul hath no rest without 

th The use of trust is best known in the worst times ; 
for naturally in sickness, we trust to the physician i ; 
in want, to our wits and shifts ; in danger, to pol cy 
and the arm of flesh ; in plenty, to our present supply, 
&c. but when we have nothing in view, then indeed 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF, tJB 

should God be God unto us. In times of distress* 
when he shews himself in the ways of his mercy and 
goodness, then we should especially magnify his name y 
which will move him to discover his excellencies the 
more, the more we take notice of them. And there- 
fore David strengthens himself in these words, that he 
hoped for better times^ wherein God would shew him- 
self more gracious to him, because he resolved to praise 
him. 

This trusting joints the soul again, and sets it in its 
own true resting place, and sets God" in his own place 
jn the soul $ that is, the highest : and the creature in 
its place, which is to be under God, as in its own 
nature, so in our hearts. This is to ascribe honour due 
unto God, Psal. xxix. 2. the only way to bring peace 
into the soul : thus if we can bring our hope and trust, 
we shall stand impregnable in all assaults, as will best 
appear in these particulars. 



Of quieting the Spirit in Trouble for Sin, Objections 
answered, 



JL O begin with troubles of the spirit, which indeed 
are the spirit of troubles ; as disabling that which 
should uphold a man in all his troubles, 

A spirit set in tune, and assisted by a higher spirit^ 
will stand out against ordinary assaults 3 but when God 
(the God of the spirits of all flesh) shall seem contrary 
to our spirits, whence then shall we find relief? 

Here all is spiritual 5 God a Spirit, the soul a spirit, 
the terrors spiritual, the devil who joins with these, a 
spirit -j yea, that which the soul fears for the time to 
come, is spiritual, and not only spiritual, but eternal $ 
unless it pleaseth God at length to break out of the 
thick cloud, wherewith he covers himself, and shine 
upon the soul, as in his own time he will. 

In this estate, comforts themselves are uncomfor- 



CHAP. XXL 




1?4 THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITS ELS' , 



table to the soul; it quarrels with every thing ; the 
better things it hears of, the more it is vexed : Uh . 
what is this to me > what have I to do with these com- 
forts > the more happiness may be had, the more is 
my grief: as for comforts from God's inferior bles- 
sings: as friends, children, estate, &c. The soul is 
ready to misconstrue God's end in all, as not intending 
any good to him thereby. _ 

In this condition, God doth not appear in his own 
shape to the soul, but in the shape of. an enemy ; and 
when God seems against us, who shall stand forus? 
Our blessed Saviour in his agony, had the angels to 
comfort him; but had he been a mere man, and not 
assisted by the Godhead, it was not the comfort (no 
not) of angels that could have upheld him, in the sense 
of his Father's withdrawing his countenance from him. 
Alas ' then, what will become of us in such a case, it 
we be not supported by a spirit of power, and the power 
of an almighty Spirit ? 

If ail the temptations of the whole world, and heli 
itself, were mustered together; they were nothing to 
this, whereby the great God sets himself contrary to 
his poor creature: none can conceive so, but those 
that have felt it. If the hiding of his face w.l so 
trouble the soul, what will his frown and angry look 
do > Needs must the soul be in a woful plight, when 
as God seems not only to be absent from it, but an 
enemv to it When a man sees no comfort from above, 
S J^stward and sees less ; when he looks about 
him, and sees nothing but evidences of God s da- 
Sure beneath him, and sees nothing but despera- 
K clouds without, and clouds w>th,n ■ nothing 
but clouds in his condition here ; he had need of faith 
to break through all, and see the sun through the 

* UponfhEShe distressed soul is in danger to be set 
upon by a temptation, called the temptation of blas- 
phemy; that is, to entertain bitter thoughts aga.nst 
fiod 1 and especially against the grace and goodness of 
God wheSn h/de2res to make himself most known 
£ his creature. In those that have w 1 ully resisted 
divine truths made known unto them, and after taste, 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. If* 



despised them ; a persuasion that God had forsaken 
them, set on 'strongly by Satan, hath a worse effect > 
it stirs up a hellish hatred against against God, carry- 
ing them to a revengeful desire of opposing whatsoever 
is God's, though not always openly (for then they 
should lose the advantage of doing hurt) yet secretly 
and subtilly, and under pretence of the contrary. To 
this degree of blasphemy, God's children never fall $ 
yet they may feel the venom of corruption stirring in 
their hearts, against God and his ways which he takes 
with them and this adds greatly to the depth of their 
affliction, when afterward they think with themselves, 
what hellish stuff they carry in their souls. This is not 
so much discerned in the temptation, but after the fit 
is somewhat remitted. 

In this kind of desertion, seconded with this kind of 
temptation 5 the way is, to call home the soul, and 
to check it, and charge it to trust in God, even though 
he shews himself an enemy, for it is - but a shew 5 he 
doth but put on a mask, with a purpose to reveal him- 
self the more graciously afterward; his manner is to 
work by contraries- In this condition God lets in some 
few beams of light, whereby the soul casts a longing 
look upon God, even when he seems to forsake it; 
it will, with Jonas in the belly of hell, look back to 
the holy temple of God, Jon. ii. 4. It will steal a look 
unto Christ. Nothing more comfortable in this con- 
dition, than to fly to him, that by experience knew 
what this kind of forsaking meant ; for rhis very end, 
that he might be the fitter to succour us in the like 
distress. 

Learn therefore to appeal from God to God $ oppose 
his gracious nature, his sweet promises to such as are 
in darkness, and see no light, Isa. 1. 10. inviting them 
to trust in him, though there appear to the eye of sense 
and reason nothing but darkness : here make use of 
that sweet relation of God in Christ, becoming a Father 
to us : Doubtless thou art our Father, Isa. lxiii. 16. 
Flesh would make a doubt of it, and thou seemest to 
hide thy face from us, yet doubtless thou art our Fa- 
ther, and hast in former times shewed thyself to be so y 
we will not leave the till we have a blessing from thee^ 



If 6 THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF 

till we have a kinder look from thee : this wrestling 
will prevail at length, and we shall have such a sight 
of him, as shall be an encouragement for the time to 
come 5 when we shall be able to comfort others, with 
those comforts ivhereby we have been refreshed our- 
selves, 2 Cor. i. 4. With the saints case, remember 
the saint's course, which is to trust in God, So Christ 
the head of the church, commits himself to that God. 
whose favour for the present he felt not : so Job resolves 
upon trust, though God should kill him. 

Object. But these holy persons were not troubled 
with the guilt of any particular sin ; but I feel the just 
displeasure of God kindled against me for many and 
great offences, 

Answ. True it is, that sin is not so sweet in the 
committing, as it is heavy and bitter in the reckoning. 
When Adam had once offended God, Paradise itsek 
was not Paradise to him. The presence of God which 
was most comfortable before, was now his greatest 
terror, had not God out of his free, infinite and pre- 
venting mercy, come betwixt him and hell, by the 
promise of the blessed seed. This seed was made sin, 
to satisfy for sin j sin passive in himself, to satisfy for 
sin active in us* 1. Cor. v. 21. 

When God once charges sin upon the soul, Alas! 
who shall take it off? W^hen the great God shall frown, 
the smiles of the creature cannot refresh us. Sin 
makes us afraid of that which should be our greatest 
comfort; it puts a sting upon every other evil : upon 
the seizing of any evil, either of body, soul, or con- 
dition : the guilty soul is imbittered and enraged : for 
from that which it feels, it forespeaks to itself worse to 
come. It interprets all that befals, as the messengers 
of an angry God, sent in displeasure to take revenge 
upon it. This weakeneth the courage, wasteth the 
spirits, and blasteth the beauty even of God's dearest 
ones, PsaL xxxviii. There is not the stoutest man 
breathing, but if God sets his conscience against him, 
it will pull him down, and lay him flat, and nil him 
with such inward terrors, as he shall be more afraid of 
himself, than of all the world beside. This were a 
doleful case, if God had not provided in Christ a, 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF, 177 



remedy for this great evil of evils : and if the Holy 
Spirit were not above the conscience, able as well to 
pacify it by the sense of God's love in Christ, as to 
convince it of sin, and the jest desert thereby. 

Object But my sins are not the sins of an ordinary 
man, my spots are not as the spots of God's children* 
Answ. Conceive of God's mercy, as no ordinary 
mercy : and Christ's obedience, as no ordinary obedi- 
ence. There is something in the very greatness of sin, 
that may encourage us to go to God : for the greater 
our sins are, the greater the glory of his powerful 
mercy in pardoning, and his powerful grace in healing 
will appear. The great God delights to shew his 
greatness in the greatest things : even men glory, 
when they are put upon that, which may set forth 
their worth in any kind. God delighteth in mercy, 
Mic. vii. 18. It pleaseth him (nothing so well) as being 
his chief name, which then we take in vain, when we 
are not moved by it to come unto him. 

That which Satan would use as an argument to drive 
us from God, we should use as a strong plea with 
him: Lord, the greater my sins are, the greater will 
be the glory of thy pardoning mercy. David, after 
his heinous sins, cries not for mercy, but for abundance 
of mercy : according to the multitude of thy mercies? 
do away my offences, Psal. li. His mercy is not only 
above his own works, but above ours too. If we could 
sin more than he could pardon, ahen we might have 
some reason to despair. Despair is a high point of 
atheism, it takes away God and Christ both at once. 
Judas in betraying our Saviour, was an occasion of his 
death, as man : but in despairing he did what lay in 
him to take away his life, as God. 

When therefore conscience joining with Sat an > sets 
out thy sin in its colours, labour thou by faith to set 
out God in his colours, infinite in mercy and loving- 
kindness. Here lies the art of a Christian y it is di- 
vine rhetoric, thus to persuade and set down the soul. 
Thy sins are great, but Adam's was greater, who be- 
ing so newly advanced above all the creatures, and 
taken into so near an acquaintance with God, and ha- 
1.5 



1J8 THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 



v.ing ability to persist in that condition if he would f 
yet willingly overthrew himself, and all his whole pos- 
terity 5 by yielding to a temptation which though high 
(as being promised to be like unto God) yet such as 
he should and might have resisted : no sin we can 
commit,, can be a sin of so tainting and spreading a 
nature, yet as he fell by distrust, so he was recovered 
by trusting : and so must we by relying on a second 
Adam, whose obedience and righteousness from thence 
reigns, Rom. v. If. to the taking away not only of 
that one sin of Adam, and ours in him, but of all 5 and 
not only to the pardon of all sin, but to a right of ever- 
lasting life. The Lord thinks himself disparaged, 
when we have no higher thoughts of his mercy, than 
of our sins; when we bring God down to our model : 
when as. The heavens are not so much higher than the 
earth, than his thoughts of love arid goodness, are 
above the thoughts of our unworthiness , Isa. lv. 8. It 
is a kind of taking away the Almighty, to limit his 
boundless mercy in Christ, within the narrow scant- 
ling of our apprehension 5 yet infidelity doth this^ 
which should stir up in us a loathing of it above all 
other sins. But this is Satan's fetch, when once he- 
hath brought us into sins against the law, then to 
bring us into sins of a higher nature, and deeper dan- 
ger, even against the blessed gospel, that so there might 
"fee no remedy, but that mercy itself might condemn us. 

All the aggravations, that conscience and Satan 
helping it, are able to raise sin unto, cannot rise to that 
degree of minuteness, that God's mercy in Christ is 
of. If it be a spring of sin in us, there is a spring of 
mercy in him, and a fountain opened daily to wash 
ourselves in, Zach. mi. 1. If we sin oft, let us do 
as St. Paul, who prayed oft against the thorn in the 
flesh. If it be a devil of long continuance, yet fasting 
and prayer will drive him out at length. 

Nothing keeps the soul more down, than sins of 
long continuance ; because corruption of nature hath 
gotten so much strength in them, as nature is added 
to nature, Isa lv. 8. and custom doth- so determine 
and sway the soul one way, that men think it impossi- 
ble to recover themselves) they see one link of sin 



THE &OUL ? S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 1/9 



draw on another, all making a chain to "fasten them 
to destruction 5 they think of necessity they mast be 
damned, because custom hath bred a necessity of sin- 
ning in them ; and conceive of the promise of mercy, 
as only made to such as turn from their sinful courses,, 
in which they see themselves so hardened, that they 
cannot repent. 

Certain it is, the condition is most lamentable, that 
yielding unto sin brings men unto. Men are careful 
to prevent dangerous sicknesses of the body, and the 
danger of lav/ concerning their estates: but sel- 
dom consider into what a miserable plight their sins, 
which they so willingly give themselves up unto, will 
bring them in. If they do not perish in their sins, 
yet their yielding will bring them into such a doleful 
condition, that they would give the whole world, if 
they were possessors of it, to have their spirits at free- 
dom from this bondage and fear. 

To such as bless themselves in an ill way, upon 
hope of mercy ; we dare not speak a word of comfort, 
because God doth not, but threatens his wrath shall 
burn to hell against them. Yet because while life 
continues, there may be as a space, so a place, and 
grace for repentance ; these must be dealt withal in 
such a manner, as they may be stayed and stopped in 
their dangerous courses y there must be a stop before 
a turn. 

And when their consciences are thoroughly awaked 
with the sense of their danger, let them seriously con- 
sider, whither sin, and Satan by sin is carrying of them, 
and lay to heart the justice of God, standing before 
them as an angel with a drawn sword, ready to fall 
upon them if they post on still. 

Yet to k«?ep them from utter sinking : let them con- 
sider withal the unlimited mercy of God, as not li- 
mited to any person, or any sin, so not to* any time: 
there is no prescription of time can bind God, his 
mercy hath no certain date that will expire, so as those 
that fly unto it, shall have no benefit. Invincible mer- 
cy will never be conquered, and endless goodness 
never admits of bounds or end. 

What kind of people were those that followed: 



180 THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 



Christ : were they not such as had lived long in their 
sinful courses ? He did not only raise them that were 
newly dead, but Lazarus that had lien four days in the 
grave. They thought Christ's power in raising the 
dead, had reached to a short time only \ but he would, 
let them knovv, that he could as well raise those that 
bad been long, as lately dead. If Christ be the phy- 
sician, it is no matter of how long continuance the dis- 
ease be. He is good at all kind of diseases, and will 
not endure the reproach of disability to cure any. 
Some diseases are the reproaches of other physicians, 
as being above their skill to help ; but no conceit more 
dangerous, when we are to deal with Christ. 

The blessed martyr Bilney, was much offended 
when he heard an eloquent preacher inveighing against 
sin ; saying, " Behold, thou hast lien rotten in thine 
own lusts, by the space of sixty years, even as a beast 
in his own dung; and wilt thou presume in one year 
to go forward towards heaven, and that in thine old 
age, as much as thou wentest backward from heaven, 
to hell in sixty years r" Is not this a goodly argument,, 
saith Eilney ? Is this preaching of repentance in the 
name of Jesus ? It is as if Christ had died in vain, 
for such a man, and that he must make satisfaction for. 
himself. If I had heard, (saith he) such preaching of 
repentance in times past, I had utterly despaired of. 
mercy : We must never think the door of hope to be 
shut against us, if we have a purpose to turn unto 
God. As there is nothing more injurious to Christ, . 
so nothing more foolish and groundless than to dis- 
trust, it being the chief scope of God in his word, to 
draw our trust to him in Christ, in whom is always 
open a breast of mercy for humbled sinners, to fly unto. 

But thus far the consideration of our long time 
spent in the devil's service should prevail with us, as 
to take more shame to ourselves, so to resolve more 
strongly for God and his ways, and to account it more 
sufficient, that we have spent already so much pre- 
cious time to so ill purposes; and the less time we 
have, to make the more haste to work for God, and 
bring all the honour we can to religion in so little a. 
space, O how doth it grieve those that have felt the 



TBM SOULS CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. IB* 



gracious power of Christ in converting their souls> 
that ever they should spend the strength of their parts 
in the work of his and their enemy. And might they 
live longer, it is their full purpose for ever to renounce 
their former ways. There is bred in them, an eternal 
desire of pleasing God y as in the wicked, there isou& 
eternal desire of offending hire ; which eternity of de- 
sires, God looks to in both of them, and rewards thern 
accordingly, though he cuts off the thread of their 
lives. 

But God in wisdom, will have the conversions of 
such as have gone on in a coarse of sinning (especially 
after light revealed), to be rare and difficult. Births in 
those that are ancienter, are with greater danger than, 
in the younger sort. God will take a course, that his 
grace shall not be turned into wantonness. He oft 
holds such upon the rack of a troubled conscience, 
that they and others may fear to buy the pleasures of 
sin at such a rate. Indeed, where sin abounds, there 
grace superabounds y but then it is, where sin that 
abounded in life, abounds in the conscience in grief 
and detestation, of it, as the greatest evil. Christ 
groaned at the raising of Lazarus, which he did not at 
others 5 because that though to an Almighty power all 
things are alike easy, yet he will shew that there be 
degrees of difficulty in the things themselves, and 
make it appear to us that it is so. Therefore those 
that have enjoyed long the sweet of sin, may expect 
the bitterest sorrow and repentance for sin. 

Yet never give place to thoughts of despair, as com- 
ing from him that would overturn the end of the gos- 
pel, which lays open the riches of God's mercy in 
Christ : which riches, none set out more than those 
that have been the greatest sinners j as we see in 
Paul. We cannot exalt God more than by taking no- 
tice, and making use of that great design of infinite 
wisdom, in reconciling justice and mercy together $ 
as now he is not only merciful, but just in pardoning 
sins. Our Saviour as he comes toward the latter. age of 
the world, when all things seem desperate , . so he 
comes to some men in the latter part of their days. 
The mercy shewed to Zaccheus, and. the good thjef a . 



1S2 TKE 'SOUL ? S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF, 

was personal, but the comfort intended by Christ was 
public therefore, still, still trust in God. 

In this case, we must go to God, with whom all 
things are possible, to put forth h : s Almighty power, - 
not only in the pardoning, Uut in subduing our iniqui- 
ties. He that can make a camel go through a nee- 
dle's eye, can make a high conceited man lowly, a 
rich man humble Therefore never question his 
power, much less his willingness, when he is not ordy 
ready to receive us when we return, but persuades and 
intreats us to come in unto him : yea, after backsli- 
ding and false dealing with him, wherein he allows no 
mercy to be shewed by man, yet he will take liberty 
to shew mercy himself, Jer iii 2. 

Object. But I have often relapsed, and fallen into 
the same sin again and again. 

Answ. If Christ will have us pardon our brother 
seventy-seven times, can we think that he will enjoin 
us more than he will be ready to do himself ; when in 
case of shewing mercy, he would have us think his 
thoughts to be far above ours ? Adam lost ail by once 
sinning ; but w r e are under a better covenant, a cove- 
nant of mercy, and are encouraged by the Son, to go 
to the Father every day, for the sins of that day. 

Where the work of grace is begun, sin loses strength 
by every new fall 5 for hence issues deeper humility^ 
stronger hatred, fresh indignation against ourselves, 
more experience of the deceitfulness of our hearts, re- 
newed resolutions, until sin be brought under. That 
should not drive us from God, which God would have 
us make use of, to fly the rather to him : since there is 
a throne of grace set up in Jesus Christ we may boldly 
make use of 5 and let us be ashamed to sin, and 
not ashamed to glorify God's mercy in begging pardon 
for sin. Nothing will make us more shamed to sin, than 
thoughts of so free and large mercy. It will grieve aa 
ingenuous spirit, to ofrend so good a God. Ah ! that 
there should be such an heart in me, as to tire the pa- 
tience of God, and dam up his goodness, as much as 
in me lies but this is our comfort, that the plea of 
mercy from a broken spirit to a gracious Father, will 
ever hold good. When we. are at the lowest in this. 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 18& 



world, yet there are these three grounds of comfort 
still remaining, 1 . That we are not yet in the place 
of the damned, whose state is unalterable. 2. That 
whilst we live, there is time and space for recovering 
of ourselves. St. That there is grace offered, if we 
will not shut our hearts against it. 

Object. O ! hut every one hath his time, my good 
hour may be past. 

Ans. That is counsel to thee, it is not past, if thou 
canst raise up thy heart to God, and embrace his 
goodness. Shew by thy yielding unto mercy, that thy 
time of mercy is not yet out ; rather than by conclu- 
ding uncomfortably, willingly betray thyself to thy 
greatest enemy, enforcing that upon thyself, which 
God labours to draw thee from. As in the sin against 
the Holy Ghost, fear shews that we have not com- 
mitted it : so in this, a tender heart fearing lest our 
time be past, shews plainly that it is not past. 

Look upon examples : when the prodigal in his for- 
lorn condition was going to his father, his father stayed 
not for him, but meets him in the way, Luke xv. he 
did not only go, but ran to meet him. God is more 
willing to entertain us, than we are to cast ourselves 
upon him. As there is a fountain opened for sin and 
for uncleanness, so it is a living fountain of living wa- 
ter, that runs for ever, and can never be drawn dry. 

Caution. Here remember that I build not a shelter 
for the presumptuous, but only open an harbour for 
the truly humbled soul, to put himself into. 



Of Sorrow for Sin, and Hatred of Sin i when, righi 
and sufficient? Helps thereto. 



humbled for sin. 1 might hope for mercy > but I never 
yet knew what a broken heart meant ; this soul a£ 
mine was never yet sensible of the grief and smart o$ 
sin 5 how then can I expect any comfort ? 



CHAP, XXII. 




If I could be 



IS4 the soul's conflict with itself. 



Answ. I . It is one of Satan's policies, to hold us irr 
a dead and barren condition, by following us with 
conceits, that we have not sorrowed in proportion to 
our offences. True it is, we should labour that our 
sorrow might in some measure answer to the heinous- 
ness of our sins; but we must know, sorrow is not re- 
quired for itself in that degree, as faith is. If we 
could trust in God without much sorrow for our sins, 
then k would not be required, for God delights not in 
our sorrow, as sorrow : God in mercy both requires- 
it and works it, and thereby making us capable ves- 
sels of mercy , fit to acknowledge, value, and walk 
worthy of Christ ; he requires it, as it is a means to 
imbitter sin, and the delightful pleasures thereof unto 
us, and by that means bring us to a right judgment of 
ourselves, and the creature, with which sin commits 
spiritual adultery, that so we may recover our taste 
before lost. And then, when with the prodigal we 
return unto ourselves i having lost ourselves before) 
we are fit to judge of the baseness of sin, and of the 
worth of mercy 5 and so upon grounds of right reason, 
be willing to alter our condition, and embrace mercy 
upon any terms it shali please Christ to enjoin. 

Secondly, If we could grieve and cast down our- 
selves beneath the earth, as low as the nethermost 
pit ; yet this would be no satisfaction to God for sin : 
of itself, it is rather an entrance and beginning of hell. 

Thirdly, We must search what is the cause of this- 
want of grief, which we complain of 5 whether it be 
not a secret cleaving to the creature, and too much 
contentment in it, which oft stealeth away the heart 
from God, and brings in such contentment, as is sub- 
ject to fail and deceive us, whereupon from discon- 
tentment, we grieve, which grief, being carnal hin r 
ders grief of a better kind. 

Usually the causes of our want of grief are these. 
1. A want of serious consideration, and dwelling long 
enough upon the cause of grief, wh ; ch springs either 
from an unsettledness of nature, or disti actions from 
things without. Moveable dispositions are not long 
affeeted with any thing. One main use of crosses, is 



fH£ SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF, 183 

to take off the soul from that it is dangerously set upon 
and to fix our running spirits. For though grief for 
crosses hinders spiritual grief, yet worldly delights 
hinders more. That grief is less distant from true 
^rief, and therefore nearer to be turned into it. 
5 2. And put case, we could call off our minds from 
other things, and set them on grief for our sins ; yet 
it is only God's Spirit that can work our hearts to this 
grief; and for this end, perhaps God holds us oft 
from it, to teach us, that he is the teacher of the heart 
to grieve. And thereupon, it is our duty to wait, till 
he reveal ourselves so far to ourselves, as to stir up 

this affection in us. 

3. Another cause may be a kind of doubleness ot 
heart, whereby we would bring two things together 
that cannot suit. We would grieve for sin, so far as 
we think it an evidence of a good condition ; but 
then, kecause it i* an irksome task, and because it can- 
not be wrought without severing our heart from those 
very delights it is set upon ; hence we are loath God 
should take that course to work grief, which crosseth 
our disposition. The soul must therefore by self-de- 
nial, be brought to such a degree of sincerity and sim- 
plicity, as to be willing to give God leave to work this 
sorrow, not to be sorroivcd for, 2 Cor. vau 1Q« by, 
what way he himself pleaseth. But here we must: re- 
member again, that this self-denial is not of ourselves, 
but of God, who only can take us out of ourselves ; 
and if our hearts were brought to a stooping herein to 
his work, it would stop many a cross, and continue 
many a blessing, which God is forced to take from us ; 
that he may work that grief in us, which he seeth 
would not otherwise be kindly wrought, ; 

4. God giveth some larger spirits, and so their sor- 
rows become larger. Some upon quickness ot appre-- 
hension, and the ready passages bet wixt the brain and 
the heart, are quickly moved. Where the apprehen- 
sion is deeper, and the passages slower, there sorrow 
is long in working, and long in removing. The deep- 
est waters have the stillest motion. Iron takes nre. 
more slowly than stubble, but then it holds it longer. 
Again, 



ISO THE SOUl/s CONFLICT WITH ITSELF, 

5. God that searches and knows our hearts (better 
than ourselves) knows when, and in what measure it is 
fit for to grieve ; he sees it fitter for some dispositions,, 
to go on in a constant grief. We must give that honour 
to the wisdom of the great Physician of souls, to know 
best how to mingle and minister his potions. And we 
must not be so unkind to take it ill at God's hands, 
when he (out of gentleness and forbearance) ministers 
not to us, that churlish physic he doth to others, but 
cheerfully embrace any potion that he thinks fit to 
give us. 

Some holy men have desired to see their sin in the 
most ugly colours ; and God hath heard them in their 
requests. But yet his hand was so heavy upon them 
that they went always mourning to their graves 5 and 
thought it fitter to leave it to God's wisdom to mingle 
the potion of sorrow, than to be their own ch users. 
For a conclusion then of this point : Jf we grieve that 
we cannot grieve, and so far as it is sin, make it our 
grief j then put it amongst the rest of our sins 3 which 
we beg pardon of, and help against 5 and let it not hin- 
der us from going to Christ, but drive us to him. For 
kereiu lies the danger of this temptation, that those 
who complain in this kind, think it should be pre-, 
sumption to go to Christ, when as he especially calleth' 
the weary and heavy laden sinner to come unto him; 
and therefore such as are not sensible enough of their 
sin, must know, though want of feeling be quite op- 
posite to the life of grace ; yet sensibleness of the want 
of feeling, shews some degree of the life of grace. The 
safest way in this case is, from that life and light that 
God hath wrought in our souls, to see and feel this 
want of feeling > to cast ourselves and this our indis- 
position, upon the pardoning and healing mercy of 
God in Christ « 

We speak only of those that are so far displeased with 
themselves^ for their ill temper, as they do not favour 
themselves in it, but are willing to yield to God's way 
in redressing it, and do not cross the Spirit, moving 
them thus with David to check themselves, and to 
trust in God. Otherwise, at* unfeeling and careless 
state of spirit, will breed a secret shame of going to 



XHE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 187 



God,, for removing of that we are not hearty in labouring 
against, so far as our conscience tells us we are enabled. 
°The most constant state the soul can be. in, in regard 
of sin 3 is, upon judgment to condemn it upon right 
grounds, and to resolve against it. Whereupon repen- 
tance is called an after wisdom and change of the mind. 
And this disposition is in God's children at all times. 
And for affections, love of that which is good, and 
hatred of that which is evil y these likewise have a set- 
tled continuance in the soul. But, grief and sorrow 
rise and fall, as fresh occasions are offered 5 and are 
more lively stirred up upon some lively representation 
to the soul of some hurt we receive by sin, and wrong 
we do to God in it. The reason hereof is, because till 
the soul be separated from the body, these affections 
have more communion with the body, and therefore 
they carry more outward expressions, than dislike, or 
abomination in the mind doth. We are to judge of 
ourselves more by that which is constant, than by that 
\vhich is ebbing and flowing. 

Quest. But, what is the reason that the affections do 
not always follow the judgment, and the choice or re- 
fusal of the will ? 

Answ. 1. Our soul being a finite substance, is carried 
, with strength, but one way at one time. 

2. Sometimes, God calls us to joy as well as to 
grieve : and then no wonder if grief be somewhat too 
sick. 

3. Sometimes when God calleth to grief, and the 
judgment and will goeth along with God ; yet the 
heiart is not always ready, because (it may be) it hath 
run out so far, 'that it "cannot presently be called in 
again. 

4. Or, the spirits (which are the instruments of the 
soul) may be so wasted, that they cannot hold out to- 
feed a strong grief: in which case, the conscience 
must rest in our settled judgment and hatred of ill; 
which is the surest and never-failing character of a 
good soul. 

5. Oft times God in mercy takes us off from grief 
md sorrow, by refreshing occasions : because sorrow 



1S8 the soul's conflict with itself. 



and grief are affections very much afflicting both of 
body and soul. 

Quest, When is godly sorrow in that degree, where- 
in the soul may stay itself from uncomfortable thoughts 
about its condition ? 

Answ. 1 . When we find strength against that sin 
which formerly we fell into, and ability to walk in a 
contrary way : for this answers God's end in grief 3 
one~ of which is, a prevention from falling for the time 
to come. 

2. When that which is wanting in grief, is made up 
m fear. Here there is no great cause of complaint of 
the want of grief, for this holy affection is an awband 
of the soul, whereby it is kept from starting from God 
and his ways. 

3. When after grief we find inward peace 5 for true 
grief being God's work in us, he knows best how to 
measure it. Therefore, whatsoever frame God brings 
my soul into, I am to rest in his goodness, and not 
except against his dealing. That peace and joy, 
which risethfrom grief in the use of means, and makes 
the soul more humble and thankful to God, and less 
censorious and more pitiful to others, is no illusion, 
nor false light. 

4. The main end of grief and sorrow is, to make us 
value the grace and mercy of God in Christ, above all 
the contentments which sin feeds on. Which where 
it is found, we may know that grief for sin hath enough 
possessed the soul before. The sufficiency of things is 
to be judged, by an answerableness to their use and 
ends. God makes sin bitter, that Christ may be sweet : 
that measure of grief and sorrow is sufficient, which 
brings us, and holds us to Christ. 

5. Hatred, being the strongest, deepest, and steadiest 
affection of the soul against that which is evil : grief 
for sin is then right, when it springs from hatred, and 
increaseth further hatred against it. 

6. Now the soul may be known to hate sin, when it 
seeks the utter abolishing of it ; for hatred is an impla- 
cable, and irreconcilable affection. 

2- True hatred, is carried against the whole kind of 
sin, without respect of any wrong done to us, but onlj 



THE SOUL** CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. .! 8§ 

out of a mere antipathy, and contrariety of disposition 
to it : as the lamb hateth the whole kind of wolves, 
and man hateth the whole kind of serpents. A toad 
does us no harm ; but yet we hate it. 

3. That which is hateful to us, the nearer it is, the 
more we shun and abhor it, as venemous serpents, and 
hurtful creatures, because the nearness of the object 
affects us more deeply. Therefor if our grief spring 
from true hatred of sin, it will make no new league 
with it, but grieve for all sin, especially for our own 
particular sins, as being contary to the work of God's 
grace in us, then is grief an affection of the new crea- 
ture, and every way of the right breed. 

4. But for fuller satisfaction in this case : we must 
know there is sometimes grief for sin in us, when we 
think there is none : it wants but stirring up by some 
quickening word ; the remembrance of God's favours 
and our unkindness, or the awaking of our consciences 
by some cross, will raise up this affection feelingly in us. 
As in the affection of love, many think that they have 
no love to God at all : yet let God be dishonoured in 
his name, truth, or children, and their love will soon 
stir and appear in just anger. 

In want of grief for sin, we must remember, 

1. That we must have this affection from God, 
before we can bring it unto God. And therefore, 

2. In the second place, our chief care should be, not 
to harden our hearts against the motions of the Spirit, 
stirring us up to seasonable grief ; for that may cause a 
judicial hardness from God. God oft inflicteth some 
spiritual judgment (as a correction upon men 3) for not 
yielding to his Spirit at the first, they feel a hardness of 
heart growing upon them. This made the church 
complain, Why hast thou hardened our hearts from thy 
fear, Isa. lxiii. which if Christians did well consider, 
they would more carefully entertain such impressions 
of sorrow 5 as the Spirit in the use of the means, and 
observation of God's dealing toward themselves or 
others, shall work in them, than they do. It is a say- 
ing of Austin, " Let a man grieve for his sin, and joy 
for his grief." Though we can neither love, nor grieve, 
nor joy of ourselves, as we should, yet, our hearts tell 



igo THE soul's conflict with itself 

us we are often guilty of giving a check to the Spirit, 
stirring these affections in us, which is a main cause oi 
the many sharp afflictions we endure in this life, 
though God's love in the main matter of salvation be 
most firm unto us. 

3. We must not think to have all this grief at first, 
and at once, for oftentimes it is deeper after a sight 
and feeling of God's love than it was before. God is a 
free agent, and knows every man's several mould, and 
the several services he is to use them in, and oft takes 
liberty afterwards to humble men more (when he hath 
enabled them better to bear it) than in their first 
entrance into religion : grief before springs commonly 
from self-love, and fear of danger. Let no man sus- 
pect his estate because God spares him in the begin- 
ning : for Christians many times meet with greater 
trials after their conversion than ever they thought on. 
When men take little fines, they mean to take the 
greater rent. God will have his children first or last, 
to feel what sin is ; and how much they are beholden 
to him for Christ. 

This grief doth not always arise from our poring on 
sin, but by oft considering of the infinite goodness of 
God in Christ ; and thereby reflecting on our own un* 
worthiness, not only in regard of sin past, but like- 
wise of the sin that hangeth upon us, and issues daily 
from us. The more holy a man is, the more he sees 
the holiness of God's nature, with whom he desires to 
have communion, the more he is grieved that there 
should be any thing found in him, displeasing to so 
pure a majesty. 

And as all our grief comes not at first, so God will 
not have it come all at once, but to be a stream always 
running, fed with a spring, yet within the banks, 
though sometimes deeper, sometimes shallower. — 
Grief for sin is like a constant stream 5 grief for other 
things is like a torrent, or swelling waters, which are 
soon up, soon down ; what it wants in greatness, is 
made up in continuance. Again, 

4. If we watch not our nature, there will be a spice 
of popery (which is a natural religion) in this great 
desire of more grief : as if we had that, then we had 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. IQl 



something to satisfy God withal, and so our mind will 
run too much upon works. This grief must not only 
be wrought by God revealing our sin, and his mercy 
unto us in Christ : but when it is wrought, we must 
altogether rest (in a sense of our own emptiness) upon 
the full satisfaction and worthiness of Christ our Saviour. 

All this that hath been said, tends not to the abating 
of our desire to have a tender and bleeding heart for 
sin : but that in the pursuit of this desire, we be not 
cast down so as to question our estates, if we feel. not 
that measure of grief which we desire and endeavour 
after : or, to refuse our portion of joy, which God 
offers us in Christ. Considering, grief is no farther 
good, then it makes way for joy 5 which caused our 
Saviour to join them together, Blessed are the mourners, 
for they shall be comforted, Matt. v. Being thus 
disposed, we may commit our souls to God in peace, 
notwithstanding Satan's troubling of us in the hour of 
temptation. 



Other spiritual causes of the Soul's Trouble discovered^ 
and removed : and Objections answered. 



Another thing that disquiets and casts down the 
soul very much, is, that inward conflict betwixt grace 
and corruption : this makes us most work, and puts us 
to much disquietment. It is the trouble of troubles to 
have two inhabitants so near in one soul, and these to 
strive one against another, in every action, and at all 
times in every part and power in us 1 the one carrying 
us upward, higher and higher still, till we come to God $ 
the other pulling us lower and lower, further from 
him. This cannot but breed a great disquiet, when a 
Christian shall be put on to that which he would not, 
and hindered from that which he would do, or troubled 
in the performance of it, Rom. vii. The more light 
there is to discern, and life of grace to be sensible here- 



CHAP. XXIIL 




1§2 THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH IT5£Li\ 

of; and the more love of Christ, and desire from love 
to be like to him, the more irksome will this be : no 
wonder then that the Apostle cried out, O wretched 
■man that I am, &c. Rom. vii. 

Here is a special use of trust, in the free mercy of 
God in justification, (considering all is stained that 
comes from us) it is one main end of God's leaving us 
in this conflicting condition, that we may live and die _ 
by faith in the perfect righteousness of Christ, whereby 
we glorify God more, than if we had perfect righte- 
ousness of our own. Hereby likewise, we are driven 
to make use of all the promises of grace, and to trust 
in God for the performance of them, in strengthening 
his own party in us, and not only to trust in God for 
particular graces, but for his Spirit which is the spring 
of all graces, which we have through and from Christ, 
who will help us in this fight, until he hath made us 
like himself. We are under the government of grace, 
sin is deposed from the rule it had, and shall never 
recover the right it had again : it is left in us for 
matter of exercise aud ground of triumph. 

Object. Oh 1 say some, I shall never hold out, as 
good give over at first as at last, I find such strong 
inclinations to sin in me, and such weakness to resist 
temptations, that I fear I shall but shame the cause 5 
I shall one day perish by the band of Satan strength- 
ening my corruption. . 

Answ. Why art thou thus troubled ? Trust in God, 
grace will be above nature, God above the devil, the 
spirit above the flesh. Be strong in the Lord, the 
battle is his, and the victory ours before hand. If we 
fought in our own cause and strength, and with our 
weapons, it were something : but as we fight in the 
power of God, so are we kept hy that mighty power 
through faith unto salvation, i Pet. i. 5. It lies upon 
the faithfulness of Christ, to put us in that possession 
of glory which he hath purchased for us: therefore 
charge the soul to make use of the promises, and rely 
upon God for perfecting the good work that he hath 
begun in thee. . . 

Corruptions be strong, but stronger is he that is in 
us* When we are weak in our sense, then we are 



THE SOUL*S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. ig3 

strong in him, who perfecteth strength in our weakness 
felt and acknowledged. Our corruptions are God's 
enemies as well as ours } and therefore, in trusting to 
him, and fighting against them, we may be sure he 
will take our part against them. 

Object. But I have great impediments, and many 
discouragements in my Christian course. 

Answ. What if our impediments be mountains, faith 
is able to remove them ; Who art thou, O mountain, 
saith the prophet, Zech. iv. 7. What a world of 
impediments were there betwixt Egypt and the land of 
Canaan, betwixt the return out of Babylon and Jeru* 
salem, yet faith removed all, by looking to God's 
power and truth in his promise. The looking too much 
to the Anakims and giants, and too little to God's omni* 
potency, shut the Israelites out of Canaan, and put 
God to his oath, that they should never enter into his 
rest, Psal. xcv. And it will exclude our souls from 
happiness at length 5 if looking too much upon these 
Anakims within us and without us, we basely despair 
and give over the field, considering all our enemies are 
not only conquered for us by our Head, but shall be 
conquered in us, so that in strength of assistance we 
fight against them. God gave the Israelites enemies 
into their hands, but they must fight it out, and what 
coward will not fight when he is sure of help and 
victory ? 

Object. But I carry continually about me a corrupt 
heart, if that were once changed, I could have some 
comfort. 

Ansvj. A new heart is God's creature, and he hat- 
promised to create it in us. A creating power cannot 
only bring something out of nothing, but contrary out 
of contrary. Where we are sure of God's truth,, let us 
never question that power to which all things are pos- 
sible. If our ears were as ill, as God is powerful and 
good, there were some ground of discouragement. 
In what measure we give up our hearts to God, in that 
measure we are sure to receive them better. That 
grace which enlargeth the heart to desire good, is there* 
fore given, that God may increase, being both a part 



1Q4 THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 

and a pledge of further grace. There is a promise of 
pouring clean water upon us, which faith must sue out. 
Christ hath taken upon him to purge his spouse, and 
make her fit for himself, Eph. v. 

Object. But I have many wants and defects to be 
supplied. 

Ansiv. It pleaseth him, that in Christ all fulness shall 
dwell, from whose fulness grace sufficient is dispensed 
to us, answerable to the measure of our faith whereby 
we fetch it from the fountain. 

The more we trust the more we have. When we 
look therefore to our own want, we should look withal 
to Christ's fulness, and his nearness to us, and take 
advantage from our misery, to rest upon his all-suffici- 
ency, whose fulness is ours, as himself is. Our ful- 
ness with our life is hid in Christ, and distilled into us, 
in such measure as his wisdom thinketh fit, and as shew- 
eth him to be a free agent, and yet so as the blame for 
want of grace lieth upon us, seeing he is beforehand 
with us in his offers of grace : and our own consciences 
will tell us, that our failings are more from cherishing 
of some lust, than from unwillingness in him to supply 
us with grace. 

Object. But God is of pure eyes, and cannot endure 
such services as I perform. 

Answ. Though God be of pure eyes, yet he looks 
upon us in him, who is blameless and without spot, 
who by virtue of his sweet smelling sacrifice, appears 
for us in heaven, and mingles his odours with our 
services, and in him will God be known to us in the 
name of a kind Father, not only in pardoning our 
defects, but accepting our endeavours. We offer our 
services to God, not in our own name, but in the name 
of our High Priest, who takes them from us, and pre- 
sents them to his Father, as stirred up by his Spirit, 
and perfumed by his obedience, Jonas, his prayer was 
mingled with a great deal of passion and imperfection, 
yet God could discern something of his own in it, and 
pity and pardon the rest. 



THE S©TJL 5 $ CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 19 5 



CHAP. XXIV. 

Of outward Troubles disquieting the Spirit : and com- 
forts in them. 

.A-S for the outward evils that we meet withal in this 
life, they are either, 1. Such as deprive us of the com- 
forts our nature is supported withal : or else, 2. They 
bring such misery upon our nature or condition, that 
hinders our well-being in this world. 

For the 1. Trust in God, and take out of his all-suf- 
ficiency whatsoever we want. Sure we are by his pro- 
mise, that we shall want nothing that is good. What 
he takes away one way, he can give another ; what he 
takes away in one hand, he can give in another, what 
he withholds one way, he can supply in a better. 
Whatsoever comfort we have in goods, friends, health, 
or any other blessings, it is all conveyed by him $ who 
still remains though these be taken from us. And we 
have him bound in many promises, for all that is need- 
ful for us. We may sue him upon his own bond • can 
we think that he who will give us a kingdom, will fail 
us in necessary provision to bring us thither, who him- 
self is our portion ? 

2. As for those miseries which our weak nature is 
subject to, they are all under Christ ; they come and 
go at his command, they are his messengers sent for 
our good, and called back again when they have done 
what they came for. Therefore look not so much upon 
them, as to him for strength and comfort in them, 
mitigation of them, and grace to profit by them. 

To strengthen our faith the more in God, he calleth 
himself a buckler for defence from ill, and an exceed- 
ing great reward for a supply of all good. A sun for 
the one, and a shield for the other. Trust him then 
with health, wealth, good name, all that thou hast. 
It is not in man to take away that from us which God 
K 2 



igQ the soul's conflict with itself. 



will give us, and keep for us. It is not in man's power 
to make others conceive what they please of us. 

Among crosses, this is that which disquieteth not 
the mind least, to be deceived in matter of trust, when 
as if we had not trusted, we had not been deceived. 
The very fear of being disappointed, made David in 
his haste think all men were Uars^VsdX. cxvi. But as 
it is a sharp cross, so nothing will drive us nearer unto 
God, who never faileth his. 

Friends often prove as the reed of Egypt, as a 
broken staff, and as a deceitful brook, Jobvi. 15. that 
fails the weary passenger in summer time, when there 
is most need of refreshing 5 and it is the unhappiness 
of men otherwise happy in the world, that during 
their prosperous condition, they know not who be 
their friends ; for when their condition declines, it 
plainly appears, that many were friends of their estates, 
and not of their persons : but when men will know us 
least, God will know us most 5 he knows our souls in 
adversity, and knows them so, as to support and com- 
fort them, and that from the spring head of comfort, 
whereby the sweetest comforts are fetched. What 
God conveyed before by friends, that he doth now in- 
stil immediately from himself. The immediate com- 
forts are the strongest comforts. Our Saviour Christ 
told his disciples, that they would leave him alone, yet 
(saith he) / am not alone hut the Father is with me, 
John xvi, 32. At St. Paul's first appealing, all forsook 
him, but the Lord stood hy him, I Tim. i, 7. He 
wants no company, that hath Christ for his companion. 
J looked for some to take pity (said David) hut there 
was none. This unfaithfulness of man, is a foil to set 
out God's truth, who is never nearer than when trouble 
is nearest. There is not so much as a shadow of change 
in him or his love. . . ^ 

It is just with God, when we lay too much weight of 
confidence upon any creature, to let us have the greater 
fall ; man may fail us, and yet be a good man, but 
God cannot fail us and be God> because he is truth 
itself. Shall God be so true to us> and shall not we be 
true to him and his truth ? . \ 

The like maybe said in the departure of our friends. 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 197 

Our life is oft too much in the life of others, which 
God takes unkindly : how many friends have we in 
him alone ; who rather than we should want friends^ 
can make our enemies our friends. A true believer 
is to Christ, as his mother, brother, and sister, because 
he carries that affection to them, as if they were mo- 
ther, brother, and sister, to him indeed, Matt. xii. 6, 
As Christ makes us all to him, so should we make 
him all in all to ourselves. If all comforts in the world 
were dead, we have them still in the living Lord. 

Sicknesses are harbingers of death, and in the ap- 
prehension of many, they be the greatest troubles, 
and tame great spirits, that nothing else could tame j 
herein we are more to deal with God than with men,, 
which is one comfort sickness yieldeth above other 
troubles. It is better to be troubled with the distem- 
pers of other men's souls j in which we have not only 
to deal with men, but with the devil himself, that 
ruleth in the humours of men. 

The example of Asa teaches us in this case, not to 
lay too much trust upon the physician 3 but with 
Hezekiah first look up to God, and then use the means. 
If God will give us a quietus est, and take us off from 
business by sickness, then we have a time of serving 
God, by patient subjection to his will. If he means 
to use our service any further, he will restore our 
health and strength, to do that work he sets us about. 
Health is at his command, and sickness stays at his 
rebuke. In the mean, the time of sickness is a time 
of purging from that defilement we gathered in our 
health, till we come purer out -> which should move 
us the rather willingly to abide God's time. Blessed 
is that sickness that proves the health of the soul. 
We are best, for the most part,, when we are weakest. 
Then it appears what good proficients we have been in 
time of health. 

Carnal men are oft led along by false hopes suggest- 
ed by others, and cherished by themselves, that they 
shall live still, and do well, till death comes and cuts 
off their vain confidence, and their life both at once, 
before ever they are acquainted what it is to trust in 
God aright, in the use of means. We should labour 



198 THE soul's conflict with itself. 

to learn of St. Paul in desperate cases, To receive the 
sentence of death, and not to trust in ourselves, but m 
God that raiseth the dead, 1 Cor. i. 9- He that raiseta 
our dead bodies out of the grave, can raise our diseased 
bodies out of the bed of sickness, if he hath a pleasure 
to serve himself by us. 

In all kind of troubles, it is not the ingredients that 
God puts into the cup so much afflicts us, as the ingre- 
dients of our distempered passions mingled with them. 
The sting and core of them all is sin : when that is 
not only pardoned, but in some measure healed, and 
the proud flesh eaten out, then a healthy soul will bear 
any thing. After repentance, that trouble that before 
was a correction, becomes now a trial, and exercise 
of grace. Strike, Lord (saith Luther) I bear any 
thing willingly, because my sins are forgiven. We 
should not be cast down so much about outward trou- 
bles, as about sin, that both procures them, and m- 
venoms them. We see by experience, when consci- 
ence is once set at liberty, how cheerfully men will 
go under any burthen : therefore labour to keep out 
sin, and then let come what will come. 

It is the foolish wisdom of the world, to prevent 
trouble by sin, which is the way indeed to pud the 
greatest trouble upon us. For sin dividing betwixt 
God and us, moveth him to leave the soul to entangle 
itself in its own ways. When the conscience is clear, 
then there is nothing between God and us to hinder 
our trust. Outward troubles rather drive us nearer 
unto God, and stand with his love But sin defileth 
the soul, and sets it further from God. It is well doing 
that enables us to commit our souls cheerfully unto 
him. Whatsoever our outward condition be, if our 
hearts condemn us not, we may have boldness with 
God, 1 John i. In any trouble, our care should be, 
not to avoid the trouble, but sinful miscarriage m 
and about the trouble; and so trust God It is a 
heavy condition to be under the burthen of trouble 
and under the burthen of a guilty conscience both at 
once. When men will walk in the light of their own 
fire, and the sparks which they have kindled them. 



THE SOU^S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF, 199 



selves, it is just with God, that they should lie down 
in sorrow, Isa. 1. 

Whatsoever injuries we suffer from those that are 
ill-affected to us, let us commit our cause to the God 
of vengeance, and not meddle with his prerogative. 
He will revenge our cause better than we can, and 
more perhaps than we desire. The wronged side is 
the safer side : if instead of meditating revenge, we 
can so overcome ourselves as to pray for our enemies, 
and deserve well of them, we shall both sweeten our 
own spirits, and prevent a sharp temptation which we 
are prone unto f and have an undoubted argument, 
that we are the sons of that Father that doth good to 
his enemies, and members of that Saviour that prayed 
for his persecutors. And withal, by heaping coals 
upon our enemies, shall melt them either to conver- 
sion, or to confusion. 

But the greatest trial of trust, is in our last encoun- 
ter with death, wherein we shall find not only a de- 
privation of all comforts in this life ; but a confluence 
of all ill at once ; but we must know, God will be the 
God of his unto death 5 and not only unto death, but 
in death. We may trust God the Father with our 
bodies and souls which he hath created : and God the 
Son, with the bodies and souls which he hath redeem- 
ed 3 and the Holy Spirit, with those bodies and souls 
that he hath sanctified. We are not disquieted when 
we put off our clothes and go to bed, because we trust 
God's ordinary providence to raise us up again. And 
why should we be disquieted when we put off our 
bodies, and sleep our last sleep 5 considering, we are 
more sure to rise out of our graves, than out of our 
beds. Nay, we are raised up already in Christ our 
Head, who is the resurrection and the life, John xi. 
25. in whom we may triumph over dearh, that tri- 
umpheth over the greatest monarchs, as a disarmed 
and conquered enemy. Death is the death of itself, 
and not of us. If we would have fa'ith ready to die by 
we must exercise it well in living by it ; and then it 
will no more fail us, than the good things we lay hold 
on by it, until it hath brought us into heaven, where 
that office of it is laid aside : here is the prerogative of 



200 the soux's conflict with itself. 

a true Christian above an hypocrite and a worldling | 
when as their trust, and the thing they trust in, fails 
them, then a true believer's trust stands him in great- 
est stead. 

In regard of our state after death, a Christian need 
not be disquieted, for the angels are ready to do their 
office in carrying his soul to Paradise, those mansions 
prepared for him, John xiv. 2. His Saviour will "be 
his Judge, and the Head will not condemn the mem- 
bers : then he is to receive the fruit and end of his 
faith, the reward of his hope ; which is so great and 
so sure, that our trusting in God for that, strengthen- 
eth the heart to trust him for all other things in our 
passage $ so that the refreshing of our faith in these 
great things, refreshes its dependance upon God for 
all things here below. And how strong helps have we 
to ophold our faith, in those great things which we 
are not able to conceive of, till we come to possess 
them ? Is not our Husband there ? and hath he not 
taken possession for us ? doth he not keep our place 
for us ? Is not our flesh there in him ? and his Spirit 
below with us ? Have we not some first fruits and ear- 
nest of it beforehaad > Is not Christ now a fitting 
and preparing of us daily, for what he hath prepared 
and keeps for us ? Whither tends ail we meet with in 
this world, that comes betwixt us and heaven, as 
desertions, inward conflicts, outward troubles, and 
death at last, but to fit us for a better condition here- 
after, and by faith therein, to stir up a strong desire 
after it ? Comfort one another with these things, saith 
the Apostle, 1 Thess. iv. These be the things will 
comfort the soul \ 



^HE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 201 



CHAP. XXV. 

Of the defect of Gifts disquieting the SouL As also 
the Afflictions of the Church, 

Among other things, there is nothing more dis- 
quiets a Christian, that is called to the fellowship of 
Christ and his church here, and to glory hereafter, 
than that he sees himself unfurnished with those gifts 
that are fit for the calling of a saint : as likewise for 
that particular standing and place wherein God hath 
set him in this world, by being a member of a body 
politic. 

For our Christian calling, we must know that Chris- 
tianity is a matter rather of grace than of gifts, of 
obedience than of parts. Gifts may come from a more 
common work of the Spirit, they are common to 
castaways, and are more for others than for ourselves. 
Grace comes from a peculiar favour of God, and es- 
pecially for our own good. In the same duty, where 
there is required both gifts and grace: as in prayer, 
one may perform it with evidence of greater grace, 
than another of greater parts. Moses (a man not of 
the best speech) was chosen before Aaron, to speak 
to God, and to strive with him by prayer, whilst 
Israel fought with Amalek with the sword. It is a 
business more of the heart than of the tongue, more 
of groans than of words, which groans and sighs, the 
Spirit will always stir up even in the worst condition. 
Yet for parts there is no member, but it is fitted with 
some abilities, to do service in the body, and by faith 
may grow up to a greater measure. For God calls 
none to that high condition, but w 7 hom in some mea- 
sure he fits to be an useful member, and endues with 
a public spirit. 

But that is the measure which Christ thinks fit $ 
who will make up that in the body, which is want- 
ing in any particular member. God will increase the 
k 5 



202 THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITEf ITSELF. 

measure of our gifts, as occasion shall be offered ta 
draw them forth : for there is not the greatest, but 
may have use both of the parts, and graces of the 
meanest in the church. And here the soul may by a 
spirit of faith go to God in this manner: Lord^ the 
estate of Christianity unto which thy love in Christ 
ha'h called, and advanced me, is an high condition ; 
and there is need of a great measure of grace, to up- 
hold the credit and comfort of it. Whom thou callest 
unto it, thou dost in some measure furnish, to walk 
worthy of it. Let this be an evidence to my soul of 
the truth of thy call, that I am enabled by the Spirit 
for those duties that are required; in confidence of 
which assistance, I will set upon the work : Ihou 
hast promised to give wisdom to them that ask it, and 
to upbraid none with their unworthiness, Jam. i. 5. 
Nay, thou hast promised the Spirit of all grace to those 
that beg it : it is that which I need, and it is no more 
than thou hast promised 

Only it must be remembered, that we do not walk 
above our parts and graces : the issue whereof, will 
be discouragement in ourselves, and disgrace from 

° The like may be said for our particular calling, 
wherein we "are to express the graces of our Christian 
calling, and serve one another in love, Gal. v. 13. as 
members of the state as well as the church. There- 
fore, every one must have, 1. A calling; 2 A law* 
<ul • 3 A useful calling ; 4. A calling fitted for his 
p-rts that he may be even with his business ; 5. A 
lawful entrance, and calling thereunto ; 6. And a 
lawful demeanour in the same, Though the ort> and 
* P h*re we talk in, be little, yet we must keep witnm 
the bounds of it, because of our carriage in that, we 
must give a strict account; and there is no calling so 
mean, but a man shall find enough to give a good ac- 
count for. Our care must be to know our work, and 
then to do it, and so to do it, as if it were unto God, 
with conscience of moderate diligence : for overdoing, 
and overworking any thing, comes either from osten- 
tation, or distrust in God : and negligence is so far 
from getting any blessing, that it brings us under a 



TOE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 203 



curse, for doing God's work negligently, Jer. xlviii. 
10. For we must think our callings to be services of 
God, who hath appointed us our standing therein. 

That which belongs to us in our calling, is care of 
discharging our duty, that which God takes upon him, 
is assistance and good success in it. Let us do our 
work, and leave God to do his own. Diligence and 
trust in him is only ours, the rest of the burthen is his. 
In a family, the father's and the master's care is the 
greatest, the child's care is only to obey, and the ser- 
vants to his work $ care of provision and protection 
doth not trouble them. Most of our disquietness in 
our calling, is that we trouble ourselves about God's 
work. Trust God, and be doing, and let him alone 
with the rest. He stands upon his credit so much, 
that it shall appear we have not trusted him in vain, 
even when we see no appearance of doing any good.. 
Peter fished all night and catched nothing, yet upon 
Christ's word he casts in his net again, and caught so 
many fish as broke his net, Luke v. 6. Covetousness 
(when men will be richer than God would have them) 
troubles all ; it troubles the house, the whole family, 
and the house within us, our precious soul, which 
should be a quiet house for God's Spirit to dwell in 
whose seat is a quiet spirit. If men would follow 
Christ's method, and seek first the kingdom of heaven, 
all other things would be cast upon them, Matt. vi. 
33. If thoughts of insufficiency in our places dis- 
courage us, remember what God saith to Moses, when 
he pretended disability to speak, IVho hath made 
man's mouth? have not I the Lord? Exod. iv. 11. 
All our sufficiency for every calling is from God. ' 

But you will say, Though by God's blessing my 
particular condition be comfortable, yet the state of 
God's people abroad, and the miseries of times dis- 
quiet me. 

We complain of the times, but let us take heed we 
be not a part of the misery of the times ; that they be 
not the worse for us. Indeed, he is a dead member 
that takes not to heart the ill of the times • yet her 
is place for that complaint : Help, Lord. ' Jh thes e 
tempests do as the disciples did, cry to Christ to reT 



204 THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF, 



buke the tempests and storms. This is the day of 
Jacob's trouble ; let it also be the day of Jacob's trust: 
let the body do as the Head did in the like case ; and 
in time it shall be with the body as it is with the Head. 

In this case it is good to lay before God all the pro- 
mises made to his church, with the examples of his 
presence in it, and deliverance of the same in former 
times. God is never nearer his church than when 
trouble is near : when in earth they conclude an utter 
overthrow, God is in heaven concluding a glorious de- 
liverance : usually after the lowest ebb, follows the 
highest spring tide. Christ stands upon Mount Zion. 
There is a counsel in heaven, that will dash the mould 
of all contrary counsels on earth 5 and which is more, 
God will work the raising of the church, by that very 
means by which his enemies seek to ruin it. Let us 
stand still and behold the salvation of the Lord. God 
gave too dear a price for his church, to suffer it long 
in the hands of merciless enemies. 

As for the seeming nourishing of the enemies of 
God's church, it is but for a time, and that a short 
time, and a measured time ; The wicked plot against 
the just, Psal. xxxvii. 12.; they are plotters and plow- 
ers of mischief, Job iv. 8. they are skilful and indus- 
trious in it, but they reap their own ruin. Their day 
is a corning, and their pit is in digging, Psal. xxxvn. 
12, and xciv. 13. Take heed therefore of fretting, 
because of the man that bringeth wicked devices to 
pass ■ for the arms of the wicked shall he Iroken, PsaL 
xxxvii. 7, 17.* We should help our faith by observ- 
ing God's executing of judgment in this kind. It can- 
not but vex the enemies of the church, to see at 
length a disappointing of their projects, but then to 
see the mould of their devices turned upon their own 
heads, will more torment them. 

In this case, it will much comfort to go into the 
sanctuary, for there we shall be able to say, Yet Goa 
is good to Israel, Psal. xxxvii. God hath an ark for 
his • there is no condition so ill, but there is balm 
Gilead, comfort in Israel. The depths of misery are. 



* Read Fsalms x, xxxvii. xciv. cxxix 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF, 205 

never beyond the depths of mercy. God often, for 
this very end, strips his church of all helps below, that 
it may only rely upon him y and that it may appear 
that the church is ruled by a higher power than it is 
opposed by. And then is the time when we may ex- 
pect great deliverances of the church, when there is a 
great faith in the great God. 

From all that hath been said, we see, that the only 
way to quiet the soul, to lay a charge upon it to trust 
God 5 and that unquietness and impatience are symp- 
toms and discoveries of an unbelieving heart 



CHAP. XXVI. 

Of divine Reasons in a Believer. Of his minding im 
praise God> more than to he delivered. 

w E shall now go on to the sequel of our subject $ 
I shall yet praise him. 

In these words David expresseth the reasons and 
grounds of his trust, namely, from the interest he 
had in God by experience and special covenant. 
Wherein, in the general, we may observe, that those 
who truly trust in God, labour to back their faith with 
sound arguments and strong reasoning. Faith is an 
understanding grace, it knows whom it trusts, and 
for what, and upon what grounds it trusts. Reason 
of itself cannot find what we should believe, yet when 
God hath discovered the same, faith tells us there is 
great reason to believe it : faith useth reason, though 
not as a ground, yet as a sanctified instrument to find 
out God's grounds, that he may rely upon them. 
He believes best, that knows best why he should 
believe: confidence and love, and other affections of 
the soul, though they have no reason grafted in them,, 
yet thus far they are reasonable, as that they are in a 
wise man raised up, guided, and laid down with rea- 
son, or else men were neither to be blamed nor prais-. 
€d for ordering their affections aright 5 whereas not 



%06 THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF, 



only civil virtue, but grace itself is especially conver- 
sant in ruling the affections by sanctified reason. 

The soul guides the will and affections, otherwise 
than it doth the outward members of the body,- _ It 
sways the affections of confidence, love, delight, joy> 
&c. as a prince doth his wiser subjects, and as coun- 
sellors do a -well-ordered state by ministering reasons 
to them 5 but the soul governs the outward members 
by command, as a master doth a slave, his will is 
enough. The hand and foot move upon command, 
without regarding any reason ; but we will not trust 
and rejoice in God without reason, or a show of rea- 
son at the least. 

Sin itself never wanted a reason, such as it is, but 
we call it unreasonable, because it hath no good rea- 
son for it 3 for reason being a beam of God, cannot 
strengthen any work of darkness. God having made 
man an understanding creature, guides him by a way 
suitable to such a condition, and that is the reason why 
the Lord in mercy yields so far to us in his word, as 
to give us so many reasons of his affiance in him. 
What is encouragement and comfort, but a demonstra- 
tion to us of greater reasons to raise us up, than there 
are to cast us down. 

David's reasons here are drawn partly from some 
promise of deliverance, and partly from God's nature 
and dealing with him, whom, as he had formerly 
found an healing and a saving God, so he expects to 
find him still : and partly from the covenant of grace : 
he is my God. 

The chief of his reasons are fetched from God, what 
he is in himself, and what he is and will be to his 
children, and what to him in particular ; though god- 
ly men have reasons for their trust, yet those reasons 
be divine and spiritual as faith itself is ; for, as natu- 
rally as beams come from the sun, and branches from 
the root ; even so, by divine discourse, one truth 
issueth from another. And as the beams and the sun, 
as the root and the branches are all of one nature, so 
the grounds of comfortable truths, and reasons taken 
from these grounds, are both of the same divinity 
gnd authority., though in time of temptation discourse 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 20/ 



is oft so troubled, that it cannot see how one truth 
riseth from another : this is one privilege of heaven, 
that our knowledge there shall not be so much dis- 
coursive, proving one thing by another, as definitive, 
seeing things in their grounds with a more present 
view : the soul being then raised to present conceiv- 
ing of things, and there being no flesh and blood in 
us, to raise objections that must be satisfied with 
reasoning. 

Sometimes in a clearer state of the soul, faith hath 
not so much use of reasons • but upon near and sweet 
communion with God, and by reason of some like- 
ness between the soul that hath a divine nature 
stamped upon it, and God, it presently without any 
long discourse, runneth to the Lord, as it were, by a 
supernatural instinct, as by a natural instinct a child 
runneth to his father in any distress. Yea, and from 
the common light of nature, which discovereth there 
is a God : even natural men, in extremities, will run 
to God, and he as the author of nature will sometimes 
hear them, as he doth the young ravr-ns that cry unto 
him, but comfortably, and with assurance only those 
have a familiar recourse unto him, that have a sancti- 
fied suitable disposition unto God, as being well ac-* 
quainted with him. 

Sometimes again faith is put to it to use reasons to 
strengthen itself, and therefore the soul studieth ar- 
guments to help itself by, either from inward store 
laid up in the soul, or else it hearkeneth, and yields to 
reasons suggested by others ; and there is no gracious 
heart, but hath a frame suitable and agreeable to any 
holy "and comfortable truth that shall be brought and 
enforced upon it: there is something in his spirit that 
answers whatever comes from the Spirit of God : 
though perhaps it never heard of it before, yet it pre- 
sently claims kindred of it, as coming from the same 
blessed spring, the holy Spirit 5 and therefore a gra- 
cious heart sooner takes comfort than another, as being 
prepared to close with it. 

The reasons here brought by David, are not so much 
arguments to convince his judgment, as motives and 
inducements to incline his will to trust in God : for 



2 TH£ SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 

trusting being a holy relying upon God, carrieth es- 
pecially the will to him ; now, the will is led by the 
goodness of things, as the understanding is led with 
truth : the heart must be sweetened with consideration 
of love and mercy in him whom we trust, as well as 
convinced of his ability to do us good. The cords 
that draw the heart to trust, are the cords of love, and 
the cords of love are especially the love of him to us 
whom we love ; and therefore the most prevailing 
reasons that carry the whole heart are such as are drawn 
from the sweetness of God, whereby the heart is open- 
ed and enlarged to expect all good, and .nothing but 
good from him. 

But we must remember, that neither reasons from 
the truth and power of God, nor inducements or al- 
lurements from the goodness of the Lord will further 
prevail with the soul, than it hath a fresh relish brought 
into it by the Spirit of God, to discern of those reasons, 
and answer the contrary. 

I will praise him. — David here minds praising of 
God more than his own delivery, because he knew his 
own delivery was intended on God's part, that he 
might be glorified. It is an argument of an excellent 
spirit, when all self-respects are drowned in the glory 
of God : and there is nothing lost therein 5 for our 
best being is in God. A Christian begins with loving 
God for himself: but he ends in loving himself in and 
for God : and so his end, and God's end, and the end 
of all things else, concentre and agree in one. We 
may aim at our own good, so we bring our hearts to 
refer it to the chief good, as a less circle may well be 
contained in a greater, so that the lines drawn from 
both circles, meet in one middle point. It is an excel- 
lent ground of sincerity, to desire the favour of God, 
not so much out of self-aims, as that God may have 
the more free and full praise from us, considering the 
soul is never more fit for that blessed duty, than when 
it is in cheerful plight. 

It rejoiced David more that he should have a large 
heart to serve God, than that he should have enlarge- 
ment of condition. Holy dispositions think not so 
much of the time to come, that it will be sweet to 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 20g 

them, as that it will further God's praise. True 
grace raiseth the soul above self-respects, and resteth 
not till it come to the chief end, wherein its happi- 
ness consists. 

God is glorified in making us happy ; and we, en- 
joying happiness, must glorify God. Although God 
condescend so low unto us, as not only to allow us, 
but enjoin us to look to our own freedom from mise- 
ry, and enjoyment of happiness j yet a soul thorough- 
ly seasoned with grace, mounteth higher, and is car- 
ried with purer respects to advance God's glory ; yea, 
sometimes so far as to forget its own happiness : it 
respects itself for God, rather than God for itself. A 
heavenly soul is never satisfied, until it be as near God 
as is attainable, And the nearer a creature comes to 
God, the more it is emptied of itself, and all self-aims« 
Our happiness is more in him, than in ourselves. 
We seek ourselves most, when we deny ourselves 
most. And the more we labour to advance God, the 
more we advance our condition in him. 

I will praise. — David thinks of his own duty in 
praising the Lord, more than of his work of delivering 
of him. Let us think of what is our duty, and the 
Lord will think of what shall be our comfort: we 
shall feel him answering what we looked for from him, 
in doing what he expects from us. Can we have so 
mean thoughts of him, as that we should intend hU 
glory, and he not much more intend our good ? 

This should be a strong plea unto us in our prayers, 
to prevail with God, when we engage ourselves upon 
the revelation of his mercy to us, to yield him all the 
praises. Lord, as the benefit and comfort shall be 
mine, so the praise shall be thine. 

It is little less than blasphemy to praise the Lord 
for that which, by unlawful shifts, we have procur- 
ed ; for, besides the hypocrisy of it (in seeming to 
iiacrince to him, when we sacrifice indeed to our own 
wits and carnal helps) we make him a patron of those 
ways which he most abhors ; and it is idolatry in the 
highest degree to traniform the Lord so high in our 
thoughts, as to think he is pleased with that which 
comes from his greatest enemy. And there is a gross* 



210 the soul's CONFLICT WITH ITSELf . 



mistake to take God's curse for a blessing : to thrive 
in an ill way, is a spiritual judgment,, extremely har- 
dening the heart. 

It is an argument of David's sincerity here, that he 
meant not to take any indirect course for delivering 
himself, because he intended to praise God, which as 
no guilty conscience can offer, being afraid to look 
God m the face ; so the Lord would abhor such a sa- 
crifice, were it offered to him. St. Paul was stirred 
up to praise God ; but withal he was assured the 
Lord would preserve him from every evil work, 2 Tim. 
iv. 18. 

Sometimes, indeed, where there is no malicious 
intention, the Lord pardons some breakings out of 
flesh and blood, endeavouring to help ourselves in 
danger, so far as not to take advantage of them to de- 
sert us in trouble, as David, who escaped from Achis 
by counterfeiting, 1 Sam, xxvii. 10. And this yields 
a double ground of thankfulness, partly for the Lord's 
overlooking our miscarriage, and partly for the deliver- 
ance itself. Yet this indulgence of God, will make 
the soul more ashamed afterward, for these sinful 
shifts 5 therefore it must be no precedent to us. 
There can neither be grace nor wisdom in setting upon 
a course, whefein we can neither pray to God for 
success in, nor bless him when he gives it. In this 
case God most blesseth, when he most crosseth, and 
most curseth where the deluded heart thinks he bles- 
seth most. 



CHAP. XXVII. 

In our worst Condition we have cause to praise God.. 
Still ample cause in these days. 

I SHALL yet praise him.. Or, yet I will praise 
God : that is, however it goeth with me, yet as 1 have 
cause, so I have a spirit to praise the Lord : when we 
are at the lowest, yet it is a mercy we are not consum- 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 211 

ed. We are never so ill, bat it might be worse with 
us : whatever is less than hell is undeserved. It is a 
matter of praise, that yet we have time and opportu- 
nity to get into a blessed condition. The Lord hath 
afflicted me sore, but he hath not delivered me to death, 
saith David, Psal. xviii. 18. 

In the worst times there is a presence of the Lord 
with his children, 

1. In moderating the measure of the cross, that it 
be not above their strength. 

2. In moderating the time of it; The rod of the 
wicked shall not rest long upon the lot of the righteous, 
Psalm cxxv. 3. The Lord limits both measure and 
time, 

3. He is present in mixing some comfort, and so 
allaying the bitterness of a cross. 

4. Yea, and he supports the soul by inward 
strength ; so as though it faint, yet it shall not utter-* 
Jy fail. 

5. God is present in sanctifying a cross for good $ 
and at length when he hath perfected his own work 
in his, he is present for a final deliverance of them. 
A sound hearted Christian hath always a God to go to, 
a promise to go to, former experience to go to, besides 
some present experience of the Lord's goodness which 
he enjoys: for the present he is a child of God, a 
member of Christ, 'an heir of heaven : he dwells in 
the love of God in the cross, as well as out of it 5 hi 
may be cast oat of his happy condition in the world/ 
but never out of God's favour. 

Object. If God's children have cause to praise God in 
the worst condition, what difference is there between 
their best estate and their worst ? 

Answ. Howsoever the children of God have conti- 
nual occasion to praise him, yet there be some more 
especial seasons of praising him than others ; there are 
days of his own making, of purpose to rejoice m, 
wherein we may say, This is the day which the Lord 
hath made, let us rejoice therein, Psal. cxviii. 24. And 
this, I think, is chiefly intended here. David com- 
forts himself with this, that however it was now with 



212 THE SOUl/s CONFLICT WITH ITSELF, 



him, yet God would deal so graciously with him 
hereafter, that he should have cause to bless his name. 

Though in evil times we have cause to praise the 
Lord ; yet so we are, and such are our spirits, for 
the most part, that affliction straightens our hearts. 
Therefore the apostle thought it the fittest duty in af- 
fliction to pray 5 Is any afflicted ? let him pray, saith 
James : Is anv joyful ? let him sing psalms, James v. 
13. shewing that the day of rejoicing is the fittest day of 
praising God. Every work of a Christian is beautiful 
in its own time : the graces of Christianity have their 
several offices at different seasons. In trouble, prayer 
is in its season - } in the evil day, call upon me, saith 
God : In better times praises should appear and shew 
themselves. When God manifests his goodness to 
his, he gives them grace with it, to manifest their 
thankfulness to him. Praising of God is then most 
comely, though never out of season, when God seems- 
to call for it, by renewing the sense of his mercies in 
some fresh favour towards us. If a bird will sing in 
winter, much more in the spring. If the heart be 
prepared in the winter time or adversity to praise God, 
how ready will it be when it is warmed with the glo- 
rious sun shine of his favour ? 

Our life is nothing, but as it were a web woven 
with interminglings of wants and favours, crosses and 
blessings, standings and failings, combat and victory ; 
therefore there should be a perpetual intercourse of 
praying and praising in our hearts. There is always a 
ground of communion with God in one of these kinds, 
till we come to that condition wherein all wants shall 
be supplied, where indeed is only matter of praise. Yet 
praising God in this life hath this prerogative, that 
here we praise him in the midst of his enemies. In 
heaven all will be in consort with us. The Lord es- 
teems it an honour, in the midst of devils and wicked 
men (whose life is nothing but a dishonour of him) to 
have those that will make his name, (as it is in itself, 
so) great in the world. 

David comforts himself in this, that he should praise 
God j which shews he had inured himself well before 
to this holy exercise, in which he found .such comfort* 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 213 

that he could not but joy in the fore-thoughts of that 
time, wherein he should have fresh occasion of his 
former acquaintance with God. Thoughts of this 
nature enter not into a heart that is a stranger to God. 

It is a special art in time of misery, to think of 
matter of joy, if not for the present, yet for the time 
to come ; for joy disposeth to praise, and praise again 
stirs up joy : these mutually breed one another, even 
*as the seed brings forth the tree, and the tree brings 
forth the seed. It is wisdom therefore to set faith on 
work, to take as much comfort as we can from future 
promises, that we may have both comfort and strength 
for the present, before we have the full possession of 
them. It is the nature of faith to antedate blessings 
by making them that are to be performed hereafter, 
as present now, because we have them in the promise. 
If God had not allowed us to take many things in trust 
for the time to come, both for his glory, and our good, 
he would never have left such rich promises to us. 
For faith doth not only give glory to God for the pre- 
sent (in a present believing of his truth, and relying 
upon him) but as it looks forward, it sees an everlast- 
ing ground of praising God, and is stirred up to praise 
him now, for that future matter of praise, which it is 
sure to have hereafter. The very hopes of future good, 
made David praise God for the present. If the happy 
condition we look for were present, we would em- 
brace it with present praises. Now, faith is the evi~ 
dence of things not seen, Heb. xi. 1. and gives a being 
to that which is not 5 whereupon a true believing soul 
cannot but be a praising soul. For this end God re- 
veals beforehand what we should have, that before 
hand we should praise him, as if we possessed them. 
For that is a great honour to his truth, when we es- 
teem of what bespeaks, as done, and what he promis- 
ed, as already performed. Had we not a perpetual 
confidence in the perpetuity of his love to us, how is 
it possible we should praise him ? 

Object. But we want these grounds for the time to 
come which Bavid had; he had particular promises 
which we want. 



214 THE SOUL S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF 

Answ. Though we want Urim and Thummim, and 
the prophets to foretel us what the times to come shall 
be, yet we have the canon of scripture enlarged 5 we 
live under a more glorious manifestation of Christ, and 
under a more plentiful shedding of the Spirit, where- 
by that want is abundantly supplied : we have general 
promises for the time to come, that the Lord will never 
fail nor forsake us ; that he will he with us in fire and 
water - that he will give an issue to the temptation; 
and that the issue of all things shall le for our good; 
that we shall reap the quiet fruits of righteousness; and 
noeood thing will he withhold from them that tend a 
godly life, and walk uprightly, &c* If we had 
the spirit of faith to apply these generals, we should 
see much of God's goodness in particular. 

2 Besides general promises, we have some parti- 
cular ones for the time to come ; of the confusion of 
Antichrist, of the conversion of the Jews, and ful- 
ness of the Gentiles, &c. which though we perhaps 
shall never live to see, yet we are members of that 
body, which hereafter shall see the same, and there- 
fore should stir up our hearts to praise God, as if we 
d-d enjoy the present fulfilling of them ourselves 3 for 
faith carl present them to the soul, as if they were now 

^ 3 S Some that have more near communion with God, 
mav have particular faith of some particular deliver- 
ances, whereupon they may ground particular prayer. 
< Luther praying for a sick friend, who was very com- 
fortable and useful to him, had a particular answer for 
his recovery ; whereupon he was so confident, that he 
sent word to his friend that he should certainly recover. 
Latimer prayed with great zeal for three things 5 1. 
That. Queen Elizabeth might come to the crown. 2. 
That he might seal the truth in his heart's blood. 3. 
And that the gospel might be restored once again, once 
again, which he expressed with great vehemency - of 
spirit. Ail which three God heard him in. f But the 
privileges of a few must not be made a general rule 

* Deut. xxxi. 6. Heb. xii. 11. Psalm lxxxiv. 11. 
f Fred. Myco. 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 215 

for all. Privileges go not out of the persons, but rest 
there. Yet if men would maintain a nearer commu- 
nion with God, there is no doubt but he would reveal 
himself in more familiar manner to them, in many par- 
ticulars than usually he doth. Those particular pro- 
mises in the nineteenth psalm* and other places, are 
made good to such as have a particular faith, and to all 
others (with those limitations annexed to promises of 
that nature) so far forth as God seeth it will induce to 
their good and his own glory, and so far forth as they 
depend upon him in the use of means : and is not this 
sufficient to stay a gracious heart ? 

But not to insist upon particular promises and reve- 
lations, (the performance whereof we enjoy here in 
this present life) we have rich and precious promises of 
final and full deliverance from all evil, and perfect 
enjoying of ail good in that life which is to come ; yet 
not so to come, but that we have the earnest and first 
fruits of it here : all is not kept for heaven. We may 
say with David, O how great is thy goodness, which 
thou hast laid up for them that fear thee ! Psal. xxxi. 
ig, And not only so, but how great is that goodness 
which thou hast wrought in them that trust in thee, 
even before the sons of men ! God treasures not up all 
his goodnes for the time to come, but lays much of it 
out daily before such as have eyes to behold it. 

Now, God's main end in revealing such grlorious 
promises of the life to come, is, that they might be a 
ground of comfort to us, and of praise to him even in 
this life : and, indeed, what can be grievous in this 
world to him that hath heaven in his eye ? What made 
our blessed Saviour endure the cross, and despise the 
shame, but the joy of glory to come set before him ? 
Heb. xii. 2. 

The duty that David brought his heart to, before he 
had a full enjoyment of what he looked for, was 
patient waiting, it being God's use to put a long date 
oftentimes to the performance of his promises : David, 
after he had the promise of a kingdom, was put off a 
long time ere he was invested in it. Abraham was an 
old man before he enjoyed his son of the promise. 
Joseph stayed a long time before he was exalted. Our 



1\Q THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 

blessed Saviour himself was.thirty-four years old before 
he was exalted up into glory. 

God defers, but his deferring is no empty space, 
wherein no good is done; but there is ir .that space 
a fitting for promises. Whilst the seed heth hid in the 
earth, time is not lost, for winter fits for spring j yea, 
the harder the winter, the more hopeful he spring : 
vet were it a mere empty space, we shoula hold out, 
because of the great things to come ; but being only a 
preparing time, we should pass it with the less dis- 
couragement. Let this support us in all the thwarting, 
of our desire: it is a folly to think, that we should 
have physic and health both at once : when the sick 
humour is carried away and purged then we shall 
enioy desired health. God promiseth forgiveness of 
sin - but thou findest the burden of it daily upon thee. 
Cheer up thyself; when morning is darkest, then 
comes day ; after a weary week comes a sabbath ; and 
after a fight, victory will appear—God s time is best, 
therefore resolve upon waiting his leisure. *or the 
better demeaning of ourselves herein, we must know 
we must so wait, that we provoke not in the mean 
time his patience on whom we depend, by putting 
forth our hand to any evil, which indeed is a crossing 
of our hopes. Therefore waiting upon God, is always 
ioined with doing good. There is an influence in the 
thino- hoped for. in the spirit of him that truly hopes, 
starring him up to a suitable conformity, by purging 
himself of whatsoever will not stand with the holiness 
of that condition. Waiting implies all the graces, as 
patience, perseverance, long-suffering in holding out, 
notwithstanding the tediousness of time deferred, 
murage, and breaking through all difficulty that stand 
between. For what is waiting indeed but a con- 
tinuing in a gracious inoffensive course, till the accom- 
plishment of our desires ? . ; . 

Whence we may discern a main difference betwixt 
a Christian and a carnal man, who is short-spirited, 
and all for the present ; he will have his good here, 
whereas a saint of God continues still waiting, though 
all things seem contrary to what he expects, lne 
presence of things to come is such to faith, as i t 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 217 

makes it despise the pleasure of sin for a season, Heb. 
xi. 25. What evidence of goodness is it, for a man 
to be good only upon the apprehension of something 
that contents him ? Here is the glory of faith, that it 
can, upon God's bare promise, cross itself in things 
pleasing to nature, and raise up the soul to a disposition, 
some ways answerable to that blessed estate, which, 
though yet it enjoys not, yet it is undoubtedly per- 
suaded of, and looks for. What can encourage us 
more to wait, than this, that the good we wait for, 
is greater than we are able to conceive, yea, greater 
than we can desire or hope for? 

This was no presumptuous resolution of David's 
own strength, but it issued from his present truth of 
heart, so far as he knew the same : together with an 
humble dependance upon God, both fo/ deliverance, 
and a heart to praise him for it j because God's bene- 
fits are usually entire, and are sweetened with such a 
sense of his love, as causeth a thankful heart, which, 
to a true Christian, is a greater blessing than the deli- 
verance itself, as making the soul better. David doth 
acknowledge with humble admiration, that a heart 
enlarged comes from God 5 JVho am I, saith he, and 
who are my people ? 

He mentioneth here praising God, instead of deli- 
verance 3 because a heart enlarged to praise God, is 
indeed the greatest part of the deliverance ; for by it 
the soul is delivered out of its own straits and discon- 
tent 



CHAP. XXVIII, 

Divers qualities of the Praise due to God. With helps 
therein. And Notes of God's Hearing our Prayers. 

TThOUGH praise be God's due, and our duty in 
Itself a delightful thing, yet it is not so easy a matter to 
praise him as many imagine. Music is sweet, but 



213 the soul's conflict with ITSELF. 



the setting the strings in tune is unpleasing : our souls 
will not be long in tune, and it is harsh to us to go 
about the setting them in order \ like curious clocks, 
a little thing will hinder the motion > especially pas- 
sion,, which disturbs not only the frame of grace in us, 
but the very frame of nature, putting man out of the 
power and possession of himself and therefore David 
here, when he had thought of praising God, was fain 
to take up the quarrel betwixt him' and his soul first : 
praising sets all the parts and graces of the soul awork j 
and therefore the soul had need gather itself and its 
strength together to this duty. 

Praising God requires especially self-denial, from a 
consciousness of our own wants, weaknesses, and un- 
worthiness : it requires a giving up ourselves, and all 
ours, to be at God's disposal. The very ground, and 
the fruit which it yields, are both God's 5 and they 
never gave themselves truly up to God^ that are not 
ready to give all they have to him whensoever he calls 
for it. Thankfulness is a sacrifice, arid in sacrifices 
there must be killing before offering, otherwise thesacri- 
ficing will be as the offering up of some unclean crea- 
ture : thanksgiving is an incense 5 and there must be 
fire to burn that incense 3 thanksgiving requires not 
only affections but the heat of affections. There must 
be some assurance of the benefit we praise God for 5 
and it is no easy matter to maintain assurance of our 
interest in the best things. 

Yet, in this case, if we feel no sense of assurance, 
it is good we should praise God for what we have : we 
cannot deny but the Lord offers himself in mercy to us, 
and that he intends our good thereby, for so we ought 
to construe his merciful dealing towards us, and not 
have him in jealousy without ground : if we bring our 
hearts to be willing to praise God, for that we cannot 
but acknowledge comes from him, he will be ready, 
in his time, to shew himself more clearly to us. We 
taste of his goodness many ways, and it is accompanied 
with much patience 5 and these in their natures lead us 
not only to repentance, Rom. ii. 4. but likewise to 
thankful acknowledgment ; and we ought to follow 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 21Q 

tliat which God leads us unto* though he hath not yet 
acquainted us with his secrets. 

It is good, in this case, to help the soul with a firm 
resolution, and to back our resolution with a vow, not 
only in general that we will praise, but particularly of 
something within our own power, provided it proves no 
snare to us, For by this means the heart is perfectly 
gained, and the thing is as good as done in regard of 
God's acceptance, and our comfort 5 because strong 
resolutions discover sincerity without any hypocritical 
reservation and hollowness. Always so much sincerity 
as a man hath, so much will his inward peace be. 
Resolution, as a strong stream, bears down all before 
it - f little good is done in religion without this, and 
with it all is as good as done. 

So soon as we set upon this work, we shall feel our 
spirits rise higher and higher, as the waters in the 
sanctuary, as the soul grows the more and more heat- 
ed : see how David riseth by degrees, Be glad in the 
Lord; and then, rejoice ye righteous ; and then, shout 
for joy all ye that are upright in heart, Psah xxxii. 11. 
The Spirit of God will delight to carry us along in this 
duty, until it leaves our spirits in heaven, praising God 
with the saints and glorious angels there 5 To him that 
hath, and useth it, shall he given, Matt. xxv. IQ. He 
that knoweth God aright, will honour him by trusting 
of him ; he that honours him by trusting him, will 
honour him by praying ; and he that honours him by 
prayer, shall honour him by praises $ he that honours 
him by praises, shall perfect his praises in heaven 5 
and this will quit the labour of setting and keeping the 
soul in tune : this trading with God is the richest trade 
in the world $ when we return praises to him, he re- 
turns new favours to us, and so an everlasting, ever 
increasing intercourse betwixt God and the soul is 
maintained : David here resolved to praise God, 
because he had assurance of such a deliverance as would 
yield him a ground of praising him. 

Praising of God may well be called incense, because 
as it is sweet in itself, and sweet to God, so it sweetens 
all that comes from us. Love and joy are sweet in 
themselves, though those whom we love and joy in, 
1* 3 



220 THE SOUL'? CONFLICT WITH ITSELV. 

should not know of our affection, nor return the like J 
but we cannot love and joy in God, but he delights in 
us • when we neglect the praising of God, we lose both 
the comforts of God's love, and our own too. It is a 
spiritual judgment to want or lose the sense of God s, 
favours for it is a sign of want of spiritual life, - or at 
least liveliness ; it shews we are not yet in the state of 
those whom God hath chosen, to set forth the riches 
of his glory upon. ~ ^ u ^ ■ a 

When we consider, that if we answer not the kind- 
ness, and favour shewn to us by men, we are justly 
esteemed unworthy of respect (as having sinned against 
the bond of human society and love) we cannot but 
much more take shame to ourselves, when we consider 
the disproportion of our carriage, and unkind beha- 
viour towards God ; when instead of being temples of 
his praise ; we become graves of his benefits ; what a 
vanity is this in our nature, to stand upon exactness of 
iustice in answering petty curtesies -of men, and yet 
to pass by substantial favours of God, without scarce 
taking notice of them ? The best breeding is to ac- 
knowledge greatest respects where they are most due, 
and to think, that if unkindness and rudeness be a sin 
in civility, it is much more in religion. The greatest 
danger of unthankfulness, is the greatest matter of all : 
if we arrogate any spiritual strength to ourselves in spi- 
ritual actions, we commit either sacrilege in robbing 
God of his due ; or mockery, by praising him for that 
which we hold to be of ourselves : if injustice be to be 
condemned in man, much more m denying God his 
due religion being the first due. It takes much from 
thankfulness, when we have common conceits of pecu- 
liar favours ; praise is not comely in the mouth of fools : 
God loves no blind sacrifice, Mai. 1. 8. 

We should therefore have wisdom and judgment, 
not only to know upon what grounds to be thankful, 
but in what order, by discerning what be the best and 
first favours whence the rest proceed, and which add a 
worthiness to all the rest : it is good to see b essings, 
as they issue from grace and mercy. It much com- 
mends any blessing, to see the love and favour of God 
in it which is more to be valued than the ble Ssing 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 221 

itself, as it much commends any thing that comes from 
os, when we put a respect of thankfulness, and love to 
God upon it, and if we observe, we shall find the un- 
kindness of others to us, is but a correction of our un- 
kindness to God. 

In praising God, it is not good to delay, but take 
advantage of the freshness of the blessing : what we 
add to delay , we take from thankfulness y and withal, 
loose the prime and first fruits of our affections. It is 
a wise redeeming of time, to observe the best seasons of 
thankfulness : a cheerful heart will best close with a 
cheerful duty ; and therefore it is not good to waste so 
fit a temper in frivolous things, but after some con- 
tentment given to nature, let God have the fruit of his 
own planting $ otherwise it is even no better than the 
refreshing of them that standeth by a good fire, and 
crieth, Ah, ah, I am warm. Isa. xliv. 16. 

David doth not say, I will thank God, but / will 
praise him ; though he intends that. Thanks is then 
best when it tends to praising, and there ends 3 for 
thanks alone shews respect to our own good only, 
praise to God's glory 5 and in particular to the glory of 
such excellencies whence the benefit comes ; and from 
thence the soul is enlarged to think highly of all God's 
excellencies. 

Hannah, upon particular thanks for hearing her about 
a child, takes occasion to set out God's other excellen- 
cies, and riseth higher and higher ; from one to many $ 
from the present time, to that which was to come 5 
Irom particular favours to herself, she stirs up others to 
praise God for his mercy to them, 1 Sam. ii. 1 . So 
David, Deliver me, O God, and my tongue shall sing 
of thy praises, Psalm li. He propounds this as an en- 
gagement to the Lord to help him, because it should 
tend to the enlargement of his glory ; he was resolved 
to improve God's favour this way. 

The Spirit of God works like new wine, enlarging 
the spirit from one degree of praising God to another ; 
and because it see the eternity of God's love, as far as it 
can, it endeavours an eternity of God praise a gra- 
cious heart upon taste of favour shewed to itself, is pre- 
sently warmed to spread the praise of God to others, 



222 THE soul's conflict with itself. 

and the more it sees the fruit of trusting God, and his 
truth in performing promise, the more it still honours 
that trusting, as knowing that it lies upon God s ho- 
nour, to honour those that honour him, 2 Sam. xxx. 
Blessing will procure blessing ; the soul hath never such 
freedom from sin, as when it is in a thankful frame ; 
for thankfulness issues from a heart truly humbled, and 
emptied of itself, truly loving and rejoicing m God : 
and upon any sin, the spirit is grieved and straitened, 
and the lips sealed up in such a heart ; for the consci- 
ence, upon any sin, looks upon it not only as disobe- 
dience against God's will and authority, but as un- 
thankfulness to his goodness, and this melteth a godly 
heart most of all. When Nathan told David, God had 
done this, and this for him, and was ready to do more, 
he could not hold in the confession of his sin, but re- 
lented and gave in presently, 2 Sam. xu. 8. 

We ought not only to give thanks, but to be thank- 
ful, to meditate and study the praises of God. Uur 
whole life should be nothing else but a continual bles- 
sing of his holy name, and to lay it out for God and 
his people, to see where he hath any receivers Our 
goodness is nothing to God, Psal. xvi. 2. We need 
bring no water to the fountain, nor light unto the sun. 
Thankfulness is full of invention, it devisefh liberal 
things ; though it be our duty to be good stewards of 
our Talents, yet thankfulness adds a lustre and a more 
gracious acceptance, as having more of that which God 

calls for. ■ . r 

Our praising God should not be as sparks out of a 
flint, but as water out of a spring, natural, ready, free, 
as the love of God is to us : mercy pleases him, so 
should praise please us. It is our happiness, when the 
best part in us is exercised about the best and highest 
work. It was a good speech of a man that said, If 
God had made me a nightingale, I would have sung as 
a nightingale ; but now God hath made me a man, I 
will sing forth the praise of God, which is the work of 
a saint only , All thy works bless thee, and hy saints 
prZ thee] Psal. cxlv. 10. All things are either bles- 
sings in their nature, or so blessed, as they are made 
blessings to us by the over-ruling command of him, 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 223 



who maketh all things serviceable to his 5 even the 
worst things in this sense are made spiritual to the 
people of God against their own nature : how great 
is that goodness which makes even the worst things 
good ? 

Little favours come from no small love, but even 
from the same love that God intends the greatest things 
to us, and are pledges of it : the godly are more 
thankful for the least favours, than worldLy men for 
the greatest ; the affection of the giver enhances the 
gift- 

O then let us labour to improve, both what we have, 
and what we are to his glory. It discovers that we 
love God, (not only with all our understanding, heart, 
and affections, but) when with all our might and power, 
so far as we have advantage by any part, relation, or 
calling whatsoever to do him service : we cannot have 
a greater honour in the world, than to be honoured of 
God, to be abundant in this kind. 

Our time here is short, and we shall ere long be 
called to a reckoning; therefore let us study real 
praises. God's blessing of us is in deed, and so should 
ours be of him. Thanks in words is good, but in 
deeds is better : leaves are good, but fruit is better $ 
and of fruit, that which costs us most. True praise 
requires our whole man 5 the judgment to esteem, 
the memory to treasure up, the will to resolve, the 
affections to delight, the tongue to speak of, and the 
life to express the rich favours of God. What can we 
thinkjof? what can we call to mind ? what can we 
resolve upon ? what can we speak ? what can we ex- 
press in our whole course, better than the praises of 
him, of whom, and through, whom, and to whom we 
and all things are ? Rom xi. 36. 

Our whole life should speak nothing but thankful- 
ness 5 every condition and place we are in, should be a 
witness of our thankfulness : this will make the times 
and places we live in the better for us. When we our- 
selves are monuments of God's mercy, it is fit we 
should be patterns of his praises, and live monuments 
to others : we should think life is given us, to do some- 
thing better than live j we live not to live : our life 



224 the soul's conflict with itself. 



Is not the end of itself, but the praise of the giver, 
God hath joined his glory and our happiness together : 
it is fit that we should refer all that is good to his glory, 
who hath joined his glory to our best good, in being 
glorified in cur salvation. 

David concludes, that he should certainly praise God, 
because he had prayed to him. Prayers are the seeds 
of praise ^ I have sown, therefore I will reap : what 
we receive as a fruit of prayer, is more sweet than 
what we have by a general providence. 

Object. But how do we know that God hears our 
prayers ? 

Answ. If we regard them ourselves, and expect an 
issue 5 prayer is a sure adventure, we may well look 
for a return. 

2. It is a sign God hath heard our prayers, when he 
stirs up thankfulness aforehand upon assurance : 
thankfulness cannot be without either grace of God, 
by which we are thankful, or some taste of the things 
we are thankful for. God often accepts the prayer, 
when he doth not grant the things ; and will give us 
thereby occasion of thanksgiving for his wise care, in 
changing one blessing for another fitter for us. The 
Lord regards my prayers, when by prayer my heart is 
wrought to that frame which he requires ; that is, an 
humble subjection to him, from an acknowledgment 
of my wants, and his fulness. There is nothing stirred 
up in our hearts by the Spirit, no 3 not so much as a 
gracious desire, but God will answer it, if we have a 
spirit to wait. 

3. We may know God hath accepted our prayer, 
when he makes the way easy and plain, after prayer, 
by a gracious providence 5 when the course of things 
begin to change, and we meet with comforts instead of 
former crosses, and find our hearts quieted and encou- 
raged against what we most feared. 

4. Earnestness in prayer is likewise a sign that God 
hears our prayers \ as fire from heaven sheweth that 
he accepts the sacrifice : the ground of prevailing by 
our prayers, is, that they are put up in a gracious name, 
and for persons in favour, and dictated by God's own 
Spirit. They work in the strength of the blessed Trw 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 225 



aity, not their own, giving God the glory of .all his 
excellencies. 

It is God's direction to call upon him in trouble ; 
and it is his promise to deliver ; and then both his 
direction and promise that we shall glorify him, Psalm 
1. 15. When troubles stir up prayer, God's answer to 
them will stir up praises. David when he saith, / will 
praise God, presupposes God would deliver him, that 
he might have ground of praising his name.. And he 
knew & God would deliver him, because, as from faith 
he had prayed for deliverance 5 so he knew it was the 
order of God's dealing, to revive after drooping, and 
refresh after fainting. The Lord knoweth otherwise 
that our spirits would fail before him. 

A thankful disposition, is a special help in an afflict- 
ed condition ; for thankfulness springs from love, and 
love rejoiceth in suffering, Acts xv. 21. Thankfulness 
raiseth the soul higher than itself, it is trading with 
God 5 whereby, as we by him, so he gains by us. 
Therefore the 'saints used this as a motive to God, that 
he would grant their desires, because the living praise 
him, and not the dead, Isa. xxxviii. Q. If the Lord 
expect praise from us, sure he will put us in a condi- 
tion of praise. 

Unthankfulness is a sin detestable both to God and 
men 3 and less punishment it receives from human 
laws, the more it is punished inwardly by secret shame, 
and outwardly by public hatred, if once it prove noto- 
rious. When the arrests of God come forth for 
denying him his tribute, he chiefly eyes an unthankful 
heart 5 and hates all sin the worse, as there is more 
unthankfulness in it : the neglect of kindness is taken 
most unkindly. Why should we load God with inju- 
ries, who loadeth us with his blessings ? who would 
requite good with evil r Such men's mercies will prove 
at last so many indictments against them. 

I beseech you therefore labour to be men of praises. 
If in any duty we may expect assistance, we may in 
this that altogether concerns the glory of God : the 
more we praise God, the more we shall praise him. 
When God, by grace, ens rges the will, he intends to 
give the deed. The children of God, wherein their 



226 THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF* 

wills are conformable to God's will, are sure to have 
them fulfilled. In a fruitful ground, a man will sow 
his best seed. The Lord intends his own glory in 
every mercy ; and he that praiseth him, glorifies him. 
When our wills therefore carry us to that which God 
wills above all, we may well expect he will satisfy our 
desires. The living God is a living fountain never 
drawn dry 5 he hath never done so much for us, but 
he can and will do more. If there be no end of our 
praises, there shall be no end of his goodness : noway 
of thriving like to this. By this means we are sure 
never to be very miserable : how can we be dejected, 
that by a sweet communion with the Lord sets himself 
in heaven? nay, maketh his heart a kind of heaven, a 
temple, a holy of holies wherein incense is offered unto 
God, 2 Cor. vi. 16. It is the sweetest branch of our 
priestly office, to offer up these daily sacrifices : k is 
not only the beginning, but a further entrance of our 
heaven upon earth, and shall be one day our whole 
employment for ever. 

Praise is a just and due tribute for all God's bles- 
sings 1 for what else especially do his best favours call 
for at our hands ? How do all creatures praise him, 
but by their mouths ? It is a debt always owing, and 
always paying 5 and the more we pay, the more we 
shall owe : upon the due discharge of this debt, the 
soul will find much peace. A thankful heart to the 
Lord for his blessings, is the great blessing of alL 
Were it not for a few gracious souls, what honour 
should the Lord have of the rest of the unthankful 
world ? which should stir us up the more to be trum- 
pets of God's praise in the midst of his enemies, be- 
cause this, in some sort, hath a prerogative above our 
praising him in heaven 5 for there he hath no enemies 
to dishonour him. 

This is a duty that none can except against, because 
it is especially a work of the heart. All cannot shew 
their thankfulness in giving, or doing great matters, 
but all may express the willingness of their hearts, 
All within may praise his holy name, though we have 
little or nothing without us - 7 and that within us is the 
thing God chiefly requires. Our heart is the altar cn 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 227 

*which we offer this incense ; God looks not to quan- 
tity, but to proportion 5 he accepts a mite where there 
Is no more to be had. 

Quest. But how shall we le enalled to this great duty 
of praising God in an acceptable manner ? 

Answ. 1. Enter into a deep consideration of his 
favours, past, present and to come 5 think of the 
greatness and suitableness of them to our condition, 
the seasonableness and necessity of them every way 
unto us. Consider how miserable our life were with- 
out them, even without common favours 5 but as for 
spiritual favours, that make both our natural and civil 
condition comfortable, our very life were darkness 
without these. In all favours think not of them so 
much, as God's mercy and love in Christ which 
sweetens them. Think of the freeness of this love, 
and the smallness of thy own deserts. How many 
blessings doth God bestow upon us, above our deserts ; 
yea, above our desires > nay, above our very thoughts ? 
He had thoughts of love to us, when we had no 
thoughts of ourselves. What had we been if God had 
not been good unto us ? How many blessings hath 
God bestowed upon us, that we never prayed for ? and 
yet we are not so ready to praise God, as to pray unto 
him : this more desire of what we want, than esteem- 
ing of what we have, shews too much prevailing of 
self-love. But, 

2. Comparing also ourselves with others, will add 
a great lustre to God's favour, considering we are 
all hewed out of one rock, and differ nothing from the 
meanest, but in God's free love. Who are we that 
God should single us out for the glory of his rich 
mercy ? 

3. Considering likewise, that the blessings of God 
to us, are such as if none but we had them, and God 
cares for us, as if he had none else to care for in the 
world besides. These things well pondered, should 
set the greater price upon God's blessings -> what are 
we in nature and grace, but the blessings of God 3 
What is in us, about us, above us ? What see we, 
taste we, enjoy we, but blessings? All we have, or 
hope to have, are but dead favours to us, unless we 



228 THE soul's conflict with itself. 

but life to them by a spirit of thankfulness. And shall 
we be as dead as the earth, as the stones we tread on ? 
Shall we live as if we were resolved God should have 
no praise by us ? Shall we make ourselves God, ascrib- 
ing all to ourselves ? Nay, shall we, as many do, fight 
against God with his own favours, and turn the bles- 
sings of God against himself? Shall we abuse peace to 
security, plenty to ease, promises to presumption, gifts 
to pride ? How can we please the devil better than thus 
doino- ? Oh ! the wonderful patience of God, to con- 
tinue life to those whose life is nothing else, but a war- 
ring against hid tfc g iver of life. 

As God had thoughts of love to us, so should our 
thouehts be of praises to him, and of doing good in our 
places to others for his sake. Think with thyself, is 
there any I may honour God by relieving, comforting, 
counselling ? Is there any of Jonathan's race ? Is there 
any of Christ's dear ones ? I will do good to them., 
'that they together with me, and for me may praise 
God As David here checks himself for the failing and 
disouietness of his spirit, and as a cure thereof, thinks 
of praising God : so let us, in the like case, stir up our 
souls as he did, and say, Praise the Lord, O my soul, 
and all that is within me, set forth his holy name, 
Psalm ciii. 1. We never use our spirits to better pur- 
pose, than when by that light we have from God, we 
stir them up to look back again to him 

Bv this it will appear to what good purposes we 
had a being here in this world, and were brought 
into communion with Christ by the gospel. The car- 
riage of all things to the right end shews, whose we 
are and whether we tend. It abundantly appears 
L God's revealing of himself many ways to us as 
by promises, sacraments, sabbaths Jkc. that he in- 
tended to raise up our hearts to this heavenly duty. 
Se whole gracious dispensation of God an Christ 
tends to this, that our carriage should be nothing else, 
£t ah expression of thankfulness to him; that by a 
free cheerful and gracious dispos.tion, we might shew 
we are the people of God's free grace, set at liberty 
from the spirit of bondage, to serve h.m without fear. 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF . 22$ 



with a voluntary childlike service, all the days of our 
lives, Luke i. 74. 

CHAP. XXIX. 

Of God's manifold Salvation for his People. And why 
open, or expressed in the Countenance. 

"YV^E proceed now to the next clause of the verse, 
He is the salvation of my countenance. 

As David strengthens his trust in God, by reason 
fetched from the future goodness of God apprehend- 
ed by faith, so he strengthens that reason with ano- 
ther reason brought from God, whom he apprehends 
here as the salvation of his countenance. We need 
reason against reason, and reason upon reason, to steel 
and strengthen the soul against the onset of contrary 
reasons. 

He is the salvation of my countenance; that is, he 
will so save as I shall see, and my enemies shall see it 5 
and upon seeing my countenance shall be cheered and 
lifted up : God's saving kindness shall be read m my 
countenance, so that all who look on me, shall say, 
God hath spoken to my soul, as well as brought peace 
to my condition. 

He saith not only that God is salvation, but salva- 
tions to his people : because as our life is subject to 
many miseries, in soul, body, and state, public and 
private, &c, so God hath many salvations. If we have- 
a thousand troubles, he hath a thousand ways of help : 
as he hath more salvations than one. He saves our 
souls from sin, our bodies from danger, and our estates 
from trouble. He is the Redeemer of his people ; 
and not only so, but with him is plenteous redemption- 
of all persons, of all parts both of body and soul, from 
all ill, both of sin and misery, for all times, both now 
and hereafter. He is an everlasting salvation. 

David doth not say, God will save me 5 but God 
is salvation itself, and nothing but salvation. Our sin & 



230 THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 

only stop the current of his mercy, but it being above 
all our sins, will soon scatter that cloud, remove that 
stop, and then we shall see and feel nothing but 
salvation from the Lord. All his ways are mercy and 
peace to a repentant soul that casts itself upon him, 
Psal. xxv. 10. 

Christ himself is nothing else but salvation clothed 
in our flesh* So old Simeon conceived of him, when 
he had him in his arms, and was willing thereupon to 
yield up his spirit to God, having seen Christ the sal- 
vation of God : when we embrace Christ in the arms 
of our faith, we embrace nothing but salvation. He 
makes up that sweet name, given him by his Father, 
and brought from heaven by an angel, to the full, Luke 
ii. 14. A name, in the faith of which, it is impossible 
for any believing soul to sink. 

The devil, in trouble presents God to us as a reveng- 
ing destroyer, and unbelief presents him under a false 
vizard but the skill of faith is, to present him as a 
Saviour clothed with salvation. We should not so 
much look what destruction the devil and his threaten, 
as what salvation God promiseth. To God belongs the 
issues of death, and of all other troubles, which are 
lesser deaths. Cannot he that hath vouchsafed an issue 
in Christ from eternal death, vouchsafe an issue from 
all temporal evils ? If he will raise our bodies, can he 
not raise our conditions ? He that brought us into 
trouble, can easily make a way out of it for us when 
he pleaseth. This? should be a ground of resolute and 
absolute obedience, even in our greatest extremities, 
considering God will either deliver us from death, or, 
by death, and at length out of death. 

So then, when we are in any danger, we see whither 
to go for salvation, even to him that is nothing else 
but salvation; but then we must trust in him, as 
David doth, and conceive of him as salvation, that we 
may trust in him. If .we will not trust in salvation, 
what will we trust in ? And if salvation itself cannot 
save us, what can ? Out of salvation there is nothing 
but destruction, which those that seek it any where 
out of God, are sure to meet with. How pitiful then 



THE SOUI/S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 231 

is their case, who go to a destroyer for salvation ; that 
seek for help from hell ! 

Here also we see to whom to return praise in all 
our deliverances, even to the God of our salvation. 
The Virgin Mary was stirred up to magnify the Lord ; 
but why 1 Her spirit rejoiced in God her Saviour. 
Whosoever is the instrument of any good, yet salva- 
tion is of the Lord ; whosoever brings it, he sends it. 
Hence in their holy feasts for any deliverance, the cup 
they drank of, was called the cup of salvation ; and 
therefore David, when he summons his thoughts, 
what to render unto God; he resolves upon this, to 
take the cup of salvation, Psal. cxvi. 13. But always 
remember this, that when we think of God as salva- 
tion, we must think of him as he is in Christ to his. 
For, so every thing in God is saving, even his most 
terrible attributes of justice and power : out of Christ, 
the sweetest things in God are terrible. Salvation 
itself will not save out of Christ, who is the only way 
of salvation, called the way, the truth, and the life, 
John xiv. 6. 

David addeth, He is the salvation oj my counte- 
nance; that is, he will first speak salvation to my souJ^ 
and say, / am thy salvation : and when, the heart is 
cheered (which is, as it were, the sun of this little 
world) the beams of that joy will shine in the counte- 
nance. True joy begins at the centre, and so passeth 
to the circumference, the outward man. The counte- 
nance is as the glass of the soul, wherein you may see 
the naked face of the soul, according as the several 
affections thereof stand. In the countenance of an 
understanding creature, you may see more than a bare 
countenance. The spirit of one man may see the 
countenance of another's inner man in his outward 
countenance : which hath a speech of its own, and 
declares what the heart saith, and how it is affected. 

Quest. But how comes God to be the salvation of our 
countenance ? 

I answer : God only graciously shines in the face of 
Jesus Christ, which we with the eye of faith behold- 
ing, receive those beams of his grace, and reflect them 
back again. God shitveth upon us first, and we shine 



232 THE soul's conflict with itself. 

in that light of his countenance upon us, Psal li. Ifc 
The ioy of salvation,, (especially of spiritual and eternal 
salvation) is the only trne joy : all other salvations ;end 
at last in destruction, and are no further comfortable, 
than they issue from God's saving love. 

1 God will have the body partake with the soul ; as 
in the matter of grief, so in matter of joy, the lanthorn 
shines in the light of the candle within. 

2 God brings forth the joy of the heart into the 
countenance, for the further spreading and multiplying 
of joy in others. Next unto the sight :of the sweet 
countenance of God, is the beholding of the cheerful 
countenance of a Christian friend, rejoicing from true 
grounds. Whence it is that the joy of one becomes 
the joy of many; and the joys of many meet m one : 
by which means, as many lights together make he 
greater light, so many lightsome spirits make tne 
| ea er light of spirit : and so God received, the more 
trie, which makes it so much to dehght in the pros- 
perity of his children. Hence it is, that.n any deliver- 
ance of God's people, the righteous do compass them 
about, to know what God hath done for their souls ■ 
and keep a spiritual feast with them ,n partaking of 
their joy And the godly have cause to joy m the de- 
iyerance of other Christians, because they suffered in 
heTr afflictions, and it may be in their sin. the cause : of 

them, which made them somewhat ashamed Whence 
it h, that David's great desire was, that those who 
feared God wight not he ashamed because of him, Fsal. 
lxix 6. insinuating that those who fear God s name, 
are ashamed of the falls of God's people. Now, 
when God delivers them, this reproach is removed, 
Td those that had part in their sorrow,, have part m 

th t God will have salvation so open, that it shall 
appear in the countenance of his people, the more to 
daunt and vex the enemies. Cainish hypocrites hang 
down their heads, when God lifts up the couiitenance 
of their brethren : when the countenance of .Got Is 
children clears up, then their enemies hearts and looks 
L cloudy. Jerusalem's joy is Babylon's sorrow. It 
js with the church and her enemies, as it is with a 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 233 

balance, the scales whereof when one is up the other 
is down. Whilst God's people are under a cloud, 
carnal people insult over them, as if they were men 
deserted of God. Whereupon they hang down their 
hands, and the rather, because they think that by rea- 
son of their sins, Christ and' his rengion will suner 
with them. Hence David's care was, that the 
miseries of God's people should not be told in Gatfi, 
2 Sam. i. 20. The chief reason why the enemies ot 
the church gnash their teeth at the sight of God's gra- 
cious dealings, is, that they take die rising of tne 
church, to be a presage of their ruin. A lesson which 
Haman's wife had learned, Est. vi. 13. 

This is a comfort to us in these times of Jacob s trou- 
ble, and Zion's sorrow : the captivity of the church 
shall return as rivers in the south, Psalm cxxvi. 1. 
Therefore the church may say, Rejoice not over me, 
0 mine enemy ; though I am fallen, I shall rise again, 
Micah vii. 8. Though Christ's spouse be now as black 
as the pots, yet she shall be white as the dove. If there 
were not great dangers, where were the glory of God s 
great deliverance ? The church at length will be as a 
cup of trembling, and as a burdensome stone, Zech. xu. 
2 The blood of the saints cry, their enemies violence 
cries, the prayers of the church cry for deliverance, 
and vengeance upon the enemies of the church : and, 
as that importunate widow, Luke xvm. 5. will at 
length prevail. Shall the importunity of one poor 
woman prevail with an unrighteous Judge? and shall 
not the prayers of many that cry unto the righteous 
God take effect ? If there were armies of prayers, as 
there are armies of men, we should see the stream of 
things turned another way. A few Moseses in the 
mount, would do more good than many soidiers in 
the valley. If we would lift up our hearts and hands 
to the Lord, he would lift up our countenance. But, 
alas ! we either pray not, or cross our own prayers tor 
want of love to the truth of God and his people. 

It is we that keep antichrist and his faction alive, to 
plague the unthankful world. The strength he ha h 
is not from his own cause, but from our want of zeal :. 
we huider those hallelujahs by private brabbles, cold- 



234 the soul's conflict with itself, 

ness and indifferency in religion. The church begins at 
this time a little to lift up her head again. Now is the 
time to follow God with prayers, that he would per- 
fect his own word, and plead his own cause 5 that he 
would be revenged not only of ours, but his enemies : 
that he would wholly free his church from that mise- 
rable bondage. These beginnings give our faith some 
hold to be encouraged to go to God, for the fulfilling 
of his gracious promise, that the church may rejoice in 
the salvation of the Lord. God doth but look for some 
to seek unto him : Christ doth but stay until he is 
awaked by our prayers. But it is to be feared, that 
God hath not yet perfected his work in Zion. The 
church is not yet fully prepared for a full and glorious 
deliverance. If God had once his ends in the humilia- 
tion of the church for sins past, with resolution of refor- 
mation for the time to come, then this age might see 
the salvation of the Lord, which the generations to. 
come shall be witnesses of : we should see Zion in her 
perfect beauty. The generations of those that came 
out of Egypt saw and enjoyed the pleasant land which 
their progenitors were shut out of : who, by reason of 
their murmuring, and looking back to Egypt, and 
forgetfulness of the wonders which God had done for> 
and before them, perished in the wilderness. 

Use. There is little cause therefore of envying the 
present flourishing of the enemies of the church, and 
of joining and colluding with them 5 for it will prove 
the wisest resolution to resolve to fall and rise witk 
the church of Christ, considering the enemies them- 
selves shall say, God hath done great things for them x 
Kings shall lay their crowns at Christ's feet, and Iring 
all their glory to the churchy Rev. xxi. 24. 

And for every Christian, this may be a comfort, 
though their light for a time may be eclipsed, yet it 
shall break forth. David, at this time, was accounted 
an enemy of the state, and had a world of false impu- 
tations laid upon him, which he was very sensible of $ 
yet, we see here, he knew at length God would be 
the salvation of his countenance. 

But some, as Gideon, may object, If God intend tot 
Is so gracious, why is it thus ivith us ? 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 235 



The answer is, Salvation is God's own work 5 
humbling and casting down is his strange work, 
whereby he comes to his own work. For, when he 
intends to save, he will seem to destroy first : and 
when he will justify, he will condemn first ; whom he 
will revive, he will kill first. Grace and goodness 
countenanced by God, have a native inbred majesty in 
them, which maketh the face to shine, and borroweth 
not its lustre from without, which God at length will 
have to appear in its own likeness, howsoever malice 
may cast a veil thereon, and disguise it for a time. 
And though wickedness (as it is base born, and a child 
of darkness) may shelter itself under authority awhile, 
yet it shall hide itself, and run into corners. The 
comfort of comforts is, and at that great day, (the day 
of all days) that day of the revelation of the righteous 
judgment of God, the righteous shall then shine as the 
sun in the firmament, Dan. xii. then Christ will come 
to be glorious in his saints, and will be the salvation of 
the countenance of all his. Then all the works of dark- 
ness shall be driven out of countenance, and adjudged 
to the place from whence they came. In the mean 
time, let us, with David, support ourselves with th© 
hopes of these times. 



CHAP. XXX. 
Of God, our God; and of particular Application, 



JLJ AVID's interest in God was a special foundation of 
his trusting in God. My God: these words imply a 
special interest that the holy man had in God, as his 
God, being the ground of all that was said before ; 
both of the duty of trusting, and of praising, and of 
the salvation that he expected from God. He is my 
God; therefore be not disquieted, but trust him : he 
is my God; therefore he will give me matter to praise 
him, and will be the salvation of my countenance. 
The Lord hath some special ones in the world* to 



236 the soul's conflict with itself. 



whom he doth, as it were, pass over himself, ancfc 
whose God he is by virtue of a special covenant: 
whence we have these excellent expressions, I will be 
your God, and you shall be my people, Jer. xxxi. 33. 
/ will be your Father, and you shall he my so?is and 
daughters, 2 Cor, vi. 18. Since the fall we having lost 
our communion with God, the chief good, our happi- 
ness stands in recovering again fellowship with him. 
For this end we were created, and for this redeemed j ■ - 
and for effecting of this, the word and sacraments are 
sanctified to us ; yea, and for this end the Lord him- 
self, out of the bowels of compassion , vouchsafed to 
enter into a gracious covenant with us, founded upon 
Jesus Christ, and his satisfaction to divine justice : so 
that by faith we become one with him, and receive 
h\m : . as offered of his Father to be all in ail to us. 

Hence it is, that Christ hath his name Emmanuel, 
God with us, Not only because he is God, and man 
*oo, both natures meeting in one person, but because 
being God in our uature, he hath undertook this office 
to bring God and us together, The main end of 
Christ's coming and suffering, was to reconcile, and 
to gather together in one y and, as St. Peter expresseth 
it, to bring men again to God, 1 Pet, iii. 18. Emma- 
nuel is the bond of this happy agreement, and appears, 
for ever in heaven to make it good. As the comfort 
hereof is great, so the foundation of it is sure and ever- 
lasting. God will be our God, so long as he is Christ's 
God 3 and because he is Christ's God. Thus the 
Father of the faithful,, and all other holy men before 
Christ, apprehended God to be their God in the 
Messias to come. Christ was the ground of their inte- 
rest. He was. yesterday to them, as well as to-day to 
us, Heb. xiii. Hence it is that God is called the portion 
of his people, Psal. Ixxiii. 26 and they his jewels, Mai. 
xii . 25, he their only rock and strong tower, antl they his 
peculiar ones, Psal. xci. 

Use.. Well may we wonder that- the great God 
should stoop so low, to enter into such a covenant of 
grace and peace, founded upon such a Mediator, with 
such utter enemies, base creatures, sinful dust and 
ashes as we are. This is the wonder of angels, a tor^ 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 23/ 

merit of devils, and glory of oar nature and persons \ 
and will be a matter of admiration, and praising <xod 
unto us for all eternity. 

As God offereih himself -to be ours in Christ (else 
durst we lay no claim to him ;) so there must be in us 
an appropriating grace of faith, to lay hold of this offer. 
David saith here, My God. But by what spirit ? by a 
spirit of faith, which looking to God's offer, maketh 
it his own, whatsoever it lays hold of. God ofFereth 
himself in covenant, and faith catcheth hold thereon 
presently. With a gracious offer of God, there goeth 
a gracious touch of his Spirit to the soul, giving it 
sight and strength, whereby (being aided by the same 
spirit) it layeth hold on God shewing himself in love. 
The Lord saith to the soul, 7 am thy salvation ; and 
the soul saith again, Thou art my God. Faith is 
nothing else but a spiritual echo, returning that voice 
back again, which God first speaks to the soul. For 
what acquaintance could the soul claim with so glori- 
ous a Majesty, if he should not first condescend so low^, 
as to speak peace, and whisper secretly to the soul, 
that he is our loving God and Father, and we his pecu« 
liar ones in Christ, that our sins are all pardoned, his 
justice fully satisfied, and our persons freely accepted 
in his dear Son. 

But to come particularly to the words, My God. 
The words are pregnant 5 in the womb of them* all 
that is graciously and comfortably good is contained : 
they are the spring-head of all particular blessings. 
All particular relations and titles that it pleaseth God 
to take upon him, have their strength from hence* 
that the Lord is our God. More cannot be said, and 
less will not serve the turn. Whatsoever else we have^ 
if we have not God, it will prove but an empty cistern 
at last. He is our proper element, every thing desires 
to live in its own element, fishes in the sea, birds in 
the air 5 in this they are best preserved. 

There is a greater strength in this, My God, than in 
any other title 3 it is more than he had said, my King, 
■or my Lord : these are words of sovereignty and wis- 
dom 5 but this implies not only infinite power, sove- 
reignty, and wisdom, but likewise infinite bounty 



£38 the soul's conflict with itself. 



and provident care : so that when we are said to be 
God's people, the meaning is, that we are not only 
such over whom God hath a power and command, 
but such as towards whom he shews a loving and pecu- 
liar respect. 

In the words is implied, 1. A propriety and interest 
in God . 2. An improvement of the same for quieting 
of the souL 

David here lays a particular claim, by a particular 
faith unto God. The reason is, 

li The virtue of faith is, as to lay hold, so to appro- 
priate to itself, and make its own whatever it lays hold - 
on j and it doth no more in this, than God gives it 
leave by his gracious promises to do. 

2. As God offers, so faith receives but God offers 
himself in particular to the believing soul, by his Spirit, 
therefore our faith must be particular. That which 
the sacraments seal, is a peculiar interest in Christ. 
This is that which hath always upheld the* saints of 
God, and that which is ever joined with the life of 
Christ in us. The life that I live, saith St. Paul, is by 
the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave 
himself for me, Gal. ii. 20. The spirit of faith is a spirit 
of application. 

This is implied in all the articles of our faith $ we be- 
lieve God to be our Father, and Christ to be lorn for 
us, that he died for us, and rose again for our good, 
and now sits at the right hand of God, making requests 
for us in particular. 

3. This is what distinguished the faith of a true 
Christian from all hypocrites and castaways whatsoever. 
Were it not for this word of possession, mine, the 
devil might say the creed to as good purpose as we : 
He believes there is a God, and a Christ, but that 
which torments him is this, he can say my to never an 
article of faith. 

4. A general apprehension of God's goodness and 
mercy may stand with desperation. Take away my 
from God, and take away God himself in regard of 
comfort 3 what comfort was it for Adam, when he 
was shut out of Paradise, to look upon it after he had 
lost it? The more excellencies are in God, the more 



THE SOUL ? S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 



our grief if we have not our part in them ; the very 
life-blood of the gospel lies in a special application of 
particular mercy to ourselves. All relations that God 
and Christ have taken upon them, imply a necessity 
of application $ what if God be a rock of salvation, 
if we do not rest upon him ? What if he be a founda- 
tion, and we do not build upon him ? What if he of- 
fers himself as a husband, if we will not accept of him, 
what avails it us ? How can we rejoice in the salvation 
of our souls, unless we can in particular say, I rejoice 
in God my Saviour. 

5. Without particular application, we neither enter- 
tain the love of God, nor return love again ; by which 
means we lose all the comfort God intends us in this 
world, which of purpose was written for our solace 
and refreshment: take away particular faith, and 
we let out all the spirits of cheerful and thankful 
obedience. 

This possessive particle, my, hath place in all the 
golden chain of our salvation. The first spring of all 
God's claim to us as his is in his election of us 5 we 
were by grace his before we were : those that are his 
from that eternal love, he gives to Christ 5 this is hid 
in the breast of God, till he call us out of the rest of 
the world into communion with Christ. In answering 
of which call, by faith, we become one with Christ, 
and so one with him. Afterwards in justification we 
feel God experimentally to be reconciled unto us 5 
whence ariseth joy and inward peace. And then upon 
further sanctification the Lord delights in us as his, 
bearing his own image ; and we, from a likeness to 
God, delight in him as ours in his Christ ; and so this 
mutual interest betwixt God and us, continues until at 
last he becomes all in all unto us. 

Object. But how can a man, that is not yet in the 
state of grace, say with any comfort , My God ? 

Jnsw. Whilst a man regards iniquity in his heart, 
without any remorse or dislike of the same, if he say 
My God, his heart will give his tongue the lie, how- 
ever in outward profession, and opinion of others, he 
may bear himself as if the Lord were his, upon false 
grounds. For there can be no more in a conclusion, 



240 the soul's conflict with itself. 

than it hath from the principle and premises out of 
which it is drawn. The principle here is, that Jehovah 
is the God of all that trust in him. Now, if we can 
make it good, that we truly trust in God, we may 
safely conclude of comfort from him : for the more 
certain clearing of which, try yourselves by the signs 
of trust delivered. v ' _ 

It is no easy matter to say, m truth of heart, My 
God-, the flesh will still labour for supremacy. God 
shall be all in all unto us, but this will not be till these 
bodies of flesh, together with the body of sin, belaid 
aside. He that says, God is my God, and doth not 
yield up himself unto him, raiseth a building without 
a foundation, layeth a claim without a title, and claim- 
eth a title without an evidence, reckoning upon a bar- 
gain, without consent of the party with whom he 
would contract. 

But if a man shall, out of the sight and sense of sin, 
thirst after mercy in Christ, and call upon God for 
pardon, then God, who is a God hearing prayer, and 
delio-hteth to be known by the name of merciful, will 
be ready to close and meet with the desire of such a 
soul, so far as to give it leave to rely upon him for 
mercy, and that without presumption, until he further 
discovers himself graciously unto it 5 upon sense of 
which crace, the soul may be encouraged to lay a far- 
ther claim unto God, having further acquaintance with 
him. Hence are those exhortations so often in the 
prophets, to turn unto the Lord our God, Zech. 1. 3. 
because upon our first resolution to turn unto God, we 
shall find him always ready to answer these desires, 
that he stirs up by his own Spirit in us. 

We are therefore to stay our turning unto God, till 
we feel him saying to our hearts, lam thy God; but 
when he prevents us by his grace, enabling us to desire 
crace, let us follow the work begun, in the strength of 
what grace we have, and then God will further mani- 
fest himself in mercy to us. 

Yet the Lord, before we can make any thing 
towards him, letteth into our hearts some few beams 
of mercy, thereby drawing us unto him, and reaching 
out a hint to lay hold upon. 



THE SOtfL*S CONFLICT WITH ITSfiEP. 241 

And as sin causetfr a distance between God and us, 
so the guilt of sin, in the conscience, causes further 
strangeness, in so much that we dare not look up to 
heaven, till God open a little crevice to let in a little 
light of comfort, at least, into our souls, whereby we 
are by little and little drawn nearer and nearer to him. 
But this light at the first is so little, that in regard of 
the greater sense of sin, and a larger desire of grace, 
the soul reckons the same as no light at all, in compa- 
rison of what it desires and seeks after. Yet the com- 
fort is, that this dawning light will at length clear up 
to a perfect day. 

Thus we see how this claim of God to be our 
God, is still in growth until full assurance, and that 
there is a great distance betwixt the first act of faith 
in cleaving to God, offering himself in Christ to be 
ours, and between the last fruit of faith, the clear 
and comfortable feeling, that God is our God indeed. 
We first, by faith, apply ourselves to God, and then 
apply God to us y to be ours ; the first is the con- 
flicting exercise of faith, the last is the triumph of 
faith : therefore faith is not properly assurance. And 
to comfort us the more, the promises are specially 
made to the act of faith, fuller assurance is the reward 
of faith. 

Object. If God hath not chosen me in Christ to be 
his, what ground have I to trust in him ? I may cast 
away myself upon a vain confidence. 

Answ. We have no ground, at first, to trouble 
ourselves about God's election. Secret things belong 
to God : God's revealed will is, That all that believe 
in Christ shall not perish, John iii. 15. It is my duty 
therefore knowing this, to believe ; by doing whereof, 
I put that question, [whether God be mine, or not. ?] 
out of all question : for all that believe in Christ are 
Christ's, and all that are Christ's are God's. It is not 
my duty to look at God's secret will, but to his open 
offer, invitation, and command, and thereupon to 
adventure my soul. And thi* adventure of faith will 
bring at length a rich return unto us. In war, men 
will adventure their lives, because they think some 

M 



S42 THE soul's conflict with itself. 



will escape, and why not they ? In traffick beyond 
the seas, many adventure great estates, because some 
grow rich by a good return, though many miscarry. 
The husbandman adventures his seed, though some- 
times the year proves so bad, that he never sees it 
more : And shall not we make a spiritual adventure in 
casting ourselves upon God, when we have so good a 
warrant as his command, and so good an encourage- 
ment as his promise, that he will not fail those that 
rely on him ? God bids us draw near to him, and he 
will draw near to us. Whilst we in the Lord's own 
ways draw near to him, and labour to entertain good 
thoughts of him, he will delight to shew himself 
favourable unto us. Whilst we are striving against an 
unbelieving heart, he will come in and help us, and 
so fresh light will come in. 

Pretend not thy unworthiness and inability, to keep 
thee off from God, for this is the way to keep thee 
so still : if any thing help us, it must be God 5 and 
if ever he helps us, it must be by casting ourselves 
upon him : for then he will reach out himself unto us 
in the promise of mercy to pardon our sin, and in the 
promise of grace to sanctify our natures. It was a good 
resolution of the lepers, If we enter into the city, the 
famine is there, and we shall die, say they ; if we sit 
still, we shall die also; let us therefore fall into the 
host of the Assyrians ; if they save us, we shall live; 
if they lill us, we shall but die, 2 Kings, vii. 4. So we 
should reason, If we sit still under the load of our sin, 
we shall die : if we put ourselves into the hands of 
Christ, if he save us, we shall live ; if he save us not, 
we shall but die : Nay, surely, he will not suffer us 
to die. Did ever Christ thrust any back from him, 
that put themselves upon him? Unless it were, by 
that means to draw them nearer unto him, as we see 
in the woman of Canaan. His denial was but to 
increase her importunity. We should therefore do as 
she did, gather all arguments to help our faith. Sup- 
pose I am a dog, saith she ; yet I am one of the family, 
and therefore have right to the crumbs that fall, bo, 
Lord, I have been a sinner, yet I am thy creature > 
and not only so, but such a creature as thou hast set 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 243 

over the rest of the works of thy hands ; - and not only 
so, but one whom thou hast admitted into thy church 
by baptism, whereby thou wouldst bind me to give 
myself unto thee beforehand 5 and more than this, 
thou hast brought me under the means, and therein 
hast shewed thy will concerning my turning towards 
thee. Thou hast not only offered me conditions of 
peace, but wooed me by thy ministers to give up 
myself unto thee, as thine in thy Christ. Therefore, 
I dare not suspect thy good meaning towards me, or 
question thy intendment, but resolve to take thy coun- 
sel, and put myself upon thy mercy. I cannot think 
if thou hadst meant to cast me away, and not own me 
for thine, thou wouldst ever have kindled these desires 
in me. But it is not this state I rest in, my purpose 
is to wait upon thee, until thou dost manifest thyself 
farther unto me. It is not common favours that will 
content me (though I be unworthy of these) because I 
hear of choice blessings towards thy chosen people, 
that thou enterest into a peculiar covenant withal, sure 
mercies, and such as accompany salvation, Isa Iv. 3, 
These be the favours I wait for at thy hand, 0 visit 
me with the salvation of thy chosen, PsaL cvi. 4, 5. O 
remember me with the favour of thy people, that I 
may see the good of thy chosen. Whilst the soul is 
thus exercised, more sweetness fails upon the will and 
affections, whereby they are drawn still nearer unto 
God. The soul is in a getting and thriving condition % 
for God delights to shew himself gracious to those that 
strive to be well persuaded of him, concerning his 
readiness to shew mercy to all that look towards him 
in Christ. In worldly things, how do we cherish 
hopes upon little grounds ? If there shine* h never so 
little hope of gain or preferment? we make after it. 
Why then should we forsake our own mercy, (which 
God offers to be our own, if we will embrace it) 
having such certain grounds for our hope 10 rest on } 
It was the policy of the servants of Benhadad to 
watch if any word of comfort fell from the king of 
Israel 5 and' when he named Benhadad his other, 
they catched presently at that, and cheered themselves, 
M 2 



244 the soul's conflict with itself 



1 Kings, xx. 35. Faith hath a catching quality at what- 
soever is near to lay hold on. Like the branches of 
the vine, it windeth about that which is next, and 
stays itself upon it, spreading farther and farther still. 
If nature taught Benhadad's servants to lay hold upon 
anv work ofcomfort that fell frorn the mouth of a 
cruel king ; shall not grace teach God's children to 
lie in waft for any token that he shall shew for good 
to them ? How should we stretch forth the arms of 
our faith to him, that stretcheth out his arms ail the 
day Long to a rebellious people ! Isa. lxv. 2. God will 
never shut his bosom against those, that in an humble 
obedience fly unto him : we cannot conceive too gra- 
ciously of God. Can we have a fairer offer, than for 
God in Christ to make over himself unto us ? which 
is more than if he should make over a thousand worlds: 
therefore, our chief care should be, first by faith to 
make this good, and then to make it useful to us, 
by living upon it as our chiefest portion : which we 
shall do, 1. By proving God to be our God in parti- 
cular, 2. By improving of it in all the passages of our 
lives, 



CHAP. XXXI. 

Means of improving and evidencing to our Souls, that 
God is our God. 

OW, we prove it to ourselves, first, that God is 
ours, when we take him at his offer : when we bring 
nothing but a sense of our own emptiness with us, 
and a good conceit of his faithfulness and ability to do 
us good: when we answer God in the particular pas- 
sages of salvation, which we cannot do, till he begins 
first unto us. Therefore if we be God's, it is a cer- 
tain sign that God is ours. If we choose him, we 
may conclude he hath chosen us first. If we love 
him, we may know that he hath loved us first, 1 John, 
v lp. If we apprehend him, it is because he hath 



XHE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 245 

apprehended us first. Whatsoever affection we shew 
to God, it is but a reflection of his first to us. If cold 
and dark bodies have light and heat in them, it is be- 
cause the sun hath shined upon them first. Mary 
answers not Rabboni, till Christ said Mary to her, 
1 John,, xx. 16. If we say to God, / am thine, it is 
because he hath first said unto us, Thou art mine : 
after which, the voice of the faithful soul is, I am my 
Beloved's, and my Beloved is mine, Song vi. 3. We 
may know God's mind to us in heaven, by the return 
of our hearts upwards again to him : only as the re- 
flected beams are weaker than the direct, so our 
affections in their return to God, are far weaker than 
his lova falling upon us. God will be to us whatso- 
ever we make him by our faith to be $ when by grace 
we answer his condition of trusting, then he becomes 
ours to use for our good. 

2. We may know God to be our God, when we 
pitch and plant all our happiness in him, when the 
desires of our souls are towards him, and we place all 
our contentment in him. As this word my is a term 
of appropriation, springing from a special faith 5 so it 
is a word of love and peculiar affection, shewing that 
the soul doth repose and rest itself quietly and securely 
upon God. Thus David proves God to be his God> 
by early seeking him ; by thirsting, and longing after 
his presence; and that upon good reason, because his 
loving kindness is to him Letter than life, Psal.lxi. I, 
2, 3. This he knew would satisfy his soul as with 
marrow and fatness. So St. Paul proved Christ to be 
his Lord, by accounting all things else as dung and 
dross in comparison of him, Phil. iii. 8. 

Then we make God our God, and set a crown of 
majesty upon his head, when we set up a throne for 
him in our hearts, where self-love before had set up 
the creature above him \ when the heart is so unloos- 
ed from the world, that it is ready to part with any 
thing for God's sake, giving him now the supremacy 
in our hearts, and bringing down every high thought 
in captivity to him ; making him our trust, our love, 
our joy, our delight, our fear, our all 5 and whatso- 
ever we esteem or affect else, to esteem and affect 



246 THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 

it under him: when we cleave to him *ove aB, de- 
pending noon him as our chief good, and contenting 
ourselves in him, as all-sufficient to give our souls fit 
and full satisfaction. When we resign up curse Ives 
to his sracious government, to do and suffer what he 
Sills offering ourselves, and all our spirited services 
Ts Orifices to him. When faith brings God intc > the 
soul as ours, we not only love him dearly, aafcmg: t 
appear, that when we are at good terms with .God we 
are at a point with other things How mam are 
?here that will adventure the loss of the love of God, 
for a thing of nothing? and redeem the favour of men 
with he loss of God%. Certain it is, whatsoever we 
esteem, or affect most, that, whatsoever it be n it, 
Sf, vet we make it our God. The best of us all may 
ake shame to ourselves herein, in that we do not 
give God his due place in us, but set up some idol or 
other in our hearts above him. . Mv 

3. When the soul can without hypocrisy say , My 
God it en-ageth us to universal and unlimited obedt- 
fnce^ we shall be ambitious of doing that which may 
Acceptable and well-pleasing to him: and therefore 
Sis "sTrefixed as a ground before the commandants 
enforcing obedience; lam the Lord thy Uod there 
fore thouskalt have no other gods before me Exod 
xs 2 Whomsoever else we obey, it must be m the 
ford because we see a beam of God's authority in 
Jhem • and i is no prejudice toany inferior authority 
to prefer God's authority before it, in case of difference 

^n wJknow weare a peculiar people, we cannot 
but be zealous of good works, Tit. «. 4. // i » 
Father, where is mine honour? Mai. i. 6. Special 
relations has special enforcements to duty. 

4 The Spirit of God, who knows the deep thing, 
ofGod and P tee depths of our hearts, doth reveal this 
mSuaHntere t betwixt God, and those that are his 
ffinl a principal work of the Spirit to seal this unto 
Ae soul by discovering such a clear and part.cnhr . 
thtTn he use of means, as swayeth the soul to yield 
n itself wholly to God. When we truly trust, we 
Sy^rbt- Panl Ihnwwhomlhave trusted, 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 247 

2 Tim. i. 12. he knew both that he trusted, and whom 
he trusted. The Spirit of God that reveals God to be 
ours, and stirs up faith in him, both reveals this trust 
to our souls, and the interest we have in God there- 
by. The Lord is my portion, saith my soul, Lam. iii. 
24. But God said so to it first. If instinct of nature 
teaches dams to know their young ones, and their 
young ones them, in the midst of those that are alike ; 
shall not the Spirit of God much more teach the soul 
to know its own Father ? As none knows what is in 
man, but the spirit of man, so none knows what love 
God bears to those that are his, but the Spirit of God 
in his : all the light in the world cannot discover the 
sun unto us, only it discovers itself by its own beams. 
So all the angels and saints in heaven cannot discover 
to our souls the Jove that is in the breast of God to* 
wards us, but only the Spirit of God, which sheds it 
into our hearts, Rom. v. 5. The Spirit only teaches 
this language, to say, My God. It is infused only 
into saoctified hearts ; and therefore oftentimes mean 
men enjoy it, when great, wise, and learned persons 
are strangers to it. 

5. The Spirit when he thus witnesseth this to us, 
is called the Spirit of adoption, and hath always ac- 
companying of it a Spirit of supplication, whereby 
with a familiar, yet reverend boldness, we lay open 
our hearts to God as to a dear Father : all others are 
strangers to this heavenly intercourse. In straits they 
run to their friends and carnal shifts ; whereas an heir 
of heaven runs to his Father, and tells him of all. 

6. Those that are God's, are known to be his by 
jspecial love-tokens that he bestows upon them. As, 

(1.) The special graces of his Spirit. Princes* chil- 
dren are known by their costly jewels, and rich orna- 
ments. It is not common gifts and glorious parts that 
set a character upon us to be God's, but grace to use those 
gifts, in humility and love, to the glory of the giver. 

(2.) There is in them a suitableness and connatu- 
ralness of heart to all that is spiritual, to whatsoever 
hath God's stamp upon it, as his truth and his chil- 
dren, and that because they are his. By this likeness 
; of disposition, we are fashioned to a communion with 



248 THE SOUL S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF* 



him : can two walk together and not be agreed ? 
It is a certain evidence that we are God's in Christ, if 
the holy Spirit hath wrought in us any impression like 
unto Christ, who is the image of his Father: both 
Christ* s looking upon us, and our looking upon Christ 
by faith; as ours, hath a transforming and conforming 
power. 

(3.) Spiritual comforts in distress, such as the 
world can neither give nor take away, shew that God 
looks upon the souls of his with another eye, than he 
beholdeth others. He sends a secret messenger that 
reports his peculiar love to their hearts. He knows 
their souls, and feeds them with the hidden manna : 
the inward peace they feel, is not in freedom from 
trouble, but in freeness with God in the midst ot 

trouble. . , , 

(4.) Seasonable and sanctified corrections whereby 
we are kept from being led away by the error of the 
wicked, shew God's fatherly care over u.s as his. 
Who will trouble himself in correcting another man's 
child ? Yet we oftener complain of the smart we feel, 
than think of the tender heart and hand that smites 
us, until our spirits be subdued, and then we reap the 
quiet fruit of righteousness. Where crosses work to- 
gether for the best, we may know that we love God, 
and are loved of him, Rom. viii. 28. Thriving in a 
sinful course is a black mark of one that is not God s. 

7. Then we make it appear that God is our God, 
when we side with him, and are for him and his cause 
in ill times. When God seems to cry out unto us. 
Who is on my side, who ? 2 Kings, ix. 32. Then if 
we can say, as those in Isaiah, whereof one says, / am 
the Lord's; and another calls himself by the name of 
Jacob ,• and another subscribes with his hand unto the 
Lord, it is a blessed sign, Isa. xliv. 6. Thus the pa- 
triarchs and prophets, apostles and martyrs, were not 
ashamed of God, and he was not ashamed to own 
them, Heb. xi. 16. Provided that this boldness for 
God proceed not only from a conviction of the judg- 
ment, but from spiritual experience of the goodness ot 
the cause whereby we can justify in heart what we 
justify in words. Otherwise men may contend tor 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 24§ 

that with others, which they have no interest in them- 
selves. The life must witness for God, as well as the 
tongue ; it is often easier for corrupt nature to part 
with life rather than with lust. 

This siding with God, is with a separation from 
whatsoever is contrary. God useth this as an argu- 
ment to come out of Babylon, because we are his peo- 
ple ; Come out of her my people, Rev. xviii. 4. Reli- 
gion is nothing else, but a gathering and a binding of 
the soul close to God : that fire which gathers together 
the gold, separates the dross. Nature draws out that 
which is wholesome in meats, and severs the contrary. 
The good that is to be had in God, is by cleaving to 
him, and him only. God loves an ingenuous and 
full protestation, if called to it. It shews the coldness 
of the times when there is not heat enough of zeal to 
separate from a contrary faith. God is a jealous God, 
and so we shall find him at last. When the day of 
severing comes, then they that have stood for him, 
shall not only be his, but his treasure and his jewels, 
Mai. iii. 17.' 

There is none of us all, but may, some time or 
other, fall into such a great extremity, that when we 
look about us, we shall find none to help us: at which 
time we shall thoroughly know, what it is to have 
comfort from heaven, and a God to go unto. If there 
be any thing in the world worth labouring for, it is the 
getting sound evidence to our souls that God is ours. 
What madness is it to spend all our labour, to possess 
our souls of the cistern, when the fountain is offered 
to us ? O beloved, the whole world cannot weigh 
against this one comfort, that God is ours. All things 
laid in the other balance, would be too light. A moth 
may corrupt, a thief may take what we have here, 
but who can take our God away ! Though God doth 
convey some comfort to us by these things, yet when 
they are gone he reserves the comfort in himself stilly 
and can convey that and more, in a purer and sweeter 
way, where he plants the grace of faith to fetch it 
from him. Why then should we weaken our interest 
in God, for any thing this earth affords? Whatua«=> 
m 5 



250 THE soul's conflict with itself. 

worthy wretches are those, that to please a sinful man, 
or to feed a base lust, or to yield to a wicked custom, 
will, as much as in them lieth, lose their interest in 
God> Such little consider what an excellent privilege 
it is to have -a sure refuge to fly unto in time of trou- 
ble God wants not ways to maintain his, without 
being beholden to the devil. He hath all help hid in 
himself, and will then most shew it, when it shall 
make most for his own glory. If God be ours, it is a 
shame to be beholding to the devil, that ever it should 
be said, Satan, by base courses hath made us rich. 
God thinks any outward thing too mean for his chil- 
dren; severed from himself, therefore he gives his Son 
the express image of himself unto them. For which 
cause David when he had even studied to reckon up 
the number of God's choice blessings, concludes with 
advancing of this above all ; Yea, rather happy are they 
whose God is the Lord, Psal. cxliv. 15. If this will 
not satisfy the soul, what can ? Labour therefore to 
bring thy soul to this point with God; Lord, if thou 
seest it fit, take away all from me, so thou leavest me 
thyself: Whom have I in heaven lut thee ? and there 
is none on earth that I desire in comparison of thee, Psa^ 
Ixxiii. 25. 



CHAP. XXXII. 

Of improving our Evidences for Comfort in several 
passages of our lives. 

ThAT we lose not any measure of comfort in this 
so sweet a privilege, we must labour for skill to im- 
prove, and implead the same in the several passages 
and occasions of our lives, and let it appear in the 
retail, that whatsoever is in God is mine : if I am in 
a perplexed condition, his wisdom is mine : if m great 
danger, his power is mine : if I lie sighing under the 
burden of sin, his grace is mine : if in any want, his 
all-sufficiency is mine. My God, saith St. Paul, will 



THE SOUL*S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 231 

supply all your wants, Phil. iv. 19. If in any danger, 
I am thine, Lord; save me, I am thine, the price of 
thy Son's blood, let me not be lost ; thou hast given 
me the earnest of the Spirit, and set thy seal upon me 
for thy own, let me neither lose my bargain, nor thou 
thine. What is religion itself but a spiritual bond, 
whereby the soul is tied to God as its own, and then 
singles out of God whatsoever is needful for any occa- 
sion : and so binds God with his own covenant and 
promise. ( Lord, thou hast made thyself to be mine ) 
therefore now shew thyself so, and be exalted in thy 
wisdom, goodness, and power, for my defence. To 
walk comfortably in my Christian course, I need 
much grace 5 supply me out of thy rich store. I need 
wisdom to go in and out inoffensively before others; 
furnish me with the Spirit. I need patience and 
comfort : thou who art the God of all consolation be- 
stow it on me.' 

In time of desertion put Christ between God and 
thy soul, and learn to appeal from God out of Christy 
to God in Christ. Look, look upon my Saviour, that 
is near unto thee as thy Son, near to me as my bro- 
ther, and now intercedes at thy right hand for me 5 
though I have sinned, yet he hath suffered, and shed 
his precious blood to make my peace. When we are 
in any trouble, let us still wait on him, and lie at his 
feet, and never let him go, till he cast a gracious look 
upon us. 

So, if we be to deal with God, for the church 
abroad, we may allege unto him, that whatsoever 
provocations are therein, and deformity in regard of 
abuses and scandal : yet it is his church, his people, 
his inheritance, his name is called upon in it, and the 
enemies of it are his enemies. God hath engaged 
himself to the friends of the church, that they shall 
prosper that love it, PsaL cxxii. 6. and therefore we 
may, with a holy boldness, press him for a blessing 
upon the same. 

So for our children and posterity, we may incline 
God to respect them, because they are under his co- 
venant, who hath promised to be our God, and the 
God of our seed* ' Thine they were and thou gavest 



the soul's conflict with itself. 



ihem me, John xiii. All that I have is thine : these 
are those children which thou, of thy rich grace, hast 
given me. They are thine more than mine. I am 
but a means under thee, to bring them into the world, ' 
and to be a nurse unto thy children : take care there- 
of thy children, I beseech thee, especially when I can 
take no care of them myself 5 thou slumberest not, 
thou diest not 5 I must.' 

Flesh and blood think nothing is cared for, but 
what it seeth cared for by itself. It hath no eyes to 
see a guard of Providence, a guard of angels. It 
takes no knowledge that that is best cared for, that 
God cares for. Those that have God for their God, 
have enlarged hearts as they have enlarged comforts. 
They have an everlasting spring that supplies them m 
all wants, refreshes them in all troubles, and then runs 
most clearly and freshly, when all other streams in 
the world are dried and stopt up. Were we skilful 
in the art of faith, to improve so great an interest, 
what in the world could possibly dismay us? Faith 
will set God against all. # 

It should fill our hearts with an holy indignation 
against ourselves, if either we rest .in a condition, 
wherein we cannot truly say, God is our God : or (it 
when we can with some sincerity of heart say this) 
that we make no better advantage thereby, and main- 
tain not ourselves answerable to such a condition. 
What a shame is it for a nobleman's son to live like a 
b r > f or a great rich man to live like a poor pea- 
sant > to famish at a banquet? to fall when we have so 
many stays to lay hold on ? Whereas if we coulo 
make this clear to our souls, that God is ours, and 
then take iap our thoughts with the great riches in 
him, laid open in Christ, and in the promises, we need 
trouble ourselves about nothing, but only get a large 
vessel of faith, to receive what is offered, nay, enforce 

^Whenwe can say God is our God, it is more than if 
We could say, heaven is mine 5 or whatever good the 
creature affords, is mine. Alas ! what is aU^/tO 
be able to say, God is mine, who hath in him the 
sweetness of all these things, and infinite more I 1 
God be ours, goodness itself is ours: vf he be w% 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 253 



ours, though we had all things else, yet ere long no- 
thing would be ours. What a wondrous comfort is 
this, that God hath put himself over to be ours? That 
a believing soul may say with as great confidence, and 
greater too, that God is his, than he can say his house 
is his, his treasurers his, his friends are his? Nothing 
is so much ours, as God is ours, because, by his being 
ours in covenant, all other things becomes ours and 
if God be once ours, well may we trust in him. God 
and ours joined together, make up the full comfort of 
a Christian. God, there is all to be had ; but what is 
that to me, unless he be my God? All-sufficiency 
with propriety, fully stayeth the soul. 

David was now banished from the sanctuary, from 
his friends, habitation, and former comforts ; but was 
he banished from his God ? No ; God was his God 
still. When riches, and friends, and life itself cease 
to be ours, yet God never loseth his right in us, nor 
we our interest in him. This comfort that God is 
ours, reacheth unto the resurrection of our bodies, 
and to life everlasting. God is the God of Abraham, 
(and so of every true believer) even when his body is 
turned into dust. Hence it is that the loving kindness 
of God is letter than life, because when life departs, 
yet we live for ever in him. When Moses saw the 
people drop away so fast in the wilderness, and wither 
like grass, Thou art our foundation, saith he, from 
one generation to another : thou art God from ever- 
lasting to everlasting. When we leave the world, and 
are no more seen here, yet we have a dwelling place 
in God for ever. God is ours from everlasting in elec- 
tion, and to everlasting in glory : protecting us here, 
and glorifying us hereafter. David, that claimed God 
to be his God, is gone ; but David's God is alive. 
And David himself, though his flesh see corruption, 
yet is alive in his God still. 

That which is said of wily persons that are full cf 
fetches and windings, and turnings in the world, that 
such will never break, may much more truly be said 
of a right godly man, that hath but one grand policy 
to secure him in all dangers, which is to run to his 
God, as to his tower of offence and defence: such a 



254 THE soul's conflict with itself. 

one will never be at a desperate loss so long as God 
hath any credit, because he never faileth those that 
fly unto him, and that because his mercy and truth 
never fails. The very lame and blind, the most 
shiftless creatures, when they had gotten the strong 
holdofSion, thought then they might securely scorn 
David and his host, 2 Sam. v. 6, J. because though 
they were weak in themselves, yet their ho d was . 
strong: but we see their hold failed them at length, 
which a Christian's will never do. 

Obiect. But God seems to have small care oj those 
that are his in the world; those ivho believe themselves 
to le his jewels, arecoimted the off scouring oj the 
world, and most despised. . 

Answ. We must know that such have a glorious 
life in God ; but it is hidden with Christ in God, from 
the eyes of the world, and sometimes from their own : 
here they are hidden under infirmities, afflictions, 
and disgraces, but yet never so hidden, but that God 
sometimes lets down a beam of comfort and strength, 
which they would not lose to be freed from tneir pre- 
sent condition, though never so grievous. God comes 
more immediately to them now, than formerly he was 
used; nay, even when God seems to forsake them, 
and to be their enemy, yet they are supported with 
such inward strength, that they are able to make good 
their claim with Christ their head, and cry, My God 
still. God never so departs, but he always leaves 
somewhat behind him, which draws and keeps the 
heart to him. We are like poor Hagar, who when the 
bottle of water was spent, fella crying, when there 
was a fountain close by, Gen. xxi. 19. but her tears 
hindered her from seeing it. When things go ill with 
us in our trades and callings, and all is spent, then 
our spirits droop, and we are at our wit's end, as it 
God were not where he was. Oh! consider, it we 
had all, and had not God, we had nothing: if we have 
nothing, and have God, we have enough ; for we have 
him that hath all, and more than all at Ins command. 
If we bad all other comforts that our hearts can de- 
sire yet if God withdraw himself, what remains but 
a curse and emptiness ? What makes heaven but the 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF, 255 



presence of God ? And what makes hell but the ab- 
sence of God ? Let God be in any condtion, though 
never so ill, yet it is comfortable, and usually we find 
more of God in trouble, than when we are out of 
trouble 5 the comforts of religion never come till 
others fail. Cordials are kept for faintings. When a 
curtain and avail is drawn betwixt us and the creature, 
then our eyes are only upward to God, and he is more 
clearly seen of us. 

In the division of things, God bequeaths himself to 
those that are his, for their portion, as the best portion 
he can give them. There are many goodly things in 
the world, but none of those are a Christian's por- 
tion: there is in him a sufficiency to supply all good, 
and remove all ill, until the time come that we stand 
in need of no other good. It is our chief wisdom to 
know him, our holiness to love him, our happiness to 
enjoy him. There is in him to be had, whatever can 
truly make us happy. We go to our treasure and our 
portion in all our wants ; we live by it, and value our- 
selves by it. God is such a portion, that the more we 
spend on him, the more we may. Our strength may 
fail, and our heart may fail, but God is our portion 
for ever, Psal. lxxiii. 26. Every thing else teaches us, 
by the vanity and vexation we find in them, that our 
happiness is not in them, they send us to God y they 
make us worse, but better they cannot. Our nature 
is above them, and ordained for a greater good : they 
can go but along with us for awhile, and their end 
swallows up all the comfort of their beginnings as 
Pharaoh's lean kine swallowed up the fat. If we 
have no better portion here, than these things, we are 
like to have hell for our portion hereafter. What a 
shame will it be hereafter, when we are stript of all, 
that it should be said, Lo this is the man that took 
not God for his portion. If God be once ours, he goes 
for ever along with us; and when earth will hold us 
no longer, heaven shall. Who that hath his senses 
about him, would perish for wast of water, when 
there is a fountain by him? Or for hunger that is at a 
feast ? God alone is a rich portion : Oh then, let us 
labour for a large faith, as we have a large object : if 



256 the soul's conflict with itself. 

we had a thousand times more faith, we should have. 
a thousand times more increase of God's blessings. 
When the prophet came to the widow's house, as 
many vessels as she had were filled with oil, 2 Kings, 
xvii 14 We are straitened in our own faith, but 
not 'straitened in our God It falls out often in this 
world, that God's people are like Israel at the Red 
Sea, environed with dangers on all sides : what course 
have we then to take, but only to look up and wait 
for the salvation of our God ? This is a breast fu 1 of 
consolation ; let us teach our hearts to suck and draw 
comfort from hence. 

Js God our God; and will he suffer any thing to be- 
fal us for our hurt ? Will he lay any more upon us, 
than he gives us strength to bear? Will he suffer any 
wind to blow upon us., but for good ? Doth he not set 
us before his face? Will a father or mother suffer a 
child to be wronged in their presence, if they can help 
it > Will a friend suffer his friend to be injured, it be 
raa y redress him ? And will God that hath put these 
affections into parents and friends, neglect the care of 
those be hath taken so near unto himself? No, surely; 
his eyes are open unto their prayers: a book o. re- 
membrance is written of all their good desires, 
Shes and actions, Mai. iii. ifl. He hath bottles 
for all their tears; their very sighs are not hid from 
him - he hath written them upon the palm of his 
hand, Isa. xlvi. 16. and cannot but continually look 
unon them. Oh 1 let us prize the favour of so good a 
God, who, though he dwells on high, yet will regard 
things so low, and not neglect the mean estate of any : 
nay, especially delights to be called the comforter of his 
elect, and the God of those that are m misery, ana 
have none to fly unto but himself. 

But we must know that God only thus graciously 
visits his own children ; he visits with his choicest fa- 
vours those only that fear his name As for those that 
either secretly undermine, or openly oppose the cause 
and church of God, and join with his enemies: such 
as savour not the things of God, but comm. spiritual 
idolatry, and adultery with God's enemies, the world 
and the devil; God will answer these, as once he dtf 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 257 

the Israelites, (when in their necessity they would 
have forced an acquaintance with him) Go to the gods 
whom ye have served, Judges x. 14. to the great men, 
whose persons you have obeyed for advantage : to your 
riches, to your pleasure, which you have loved more 
than God or goodness. You would not lose a bad cus- 
tom, an oath, a superfluity, a thing of nothing for me 5 
therefore I will not own you now. Such men are 
more impudent than the devil himself, that will claim 
acquaintance with God at last, when they have carried 
themselves as his enemies all their days. Satan could 
tell Paul and Silas, that they were the servants of the 
living God, Acts xvi. 17- but he would not make 
that plea for himself, knowing that he was a cursed 
creature. 

Miserable then is their condition who live in the 
world (nay, in the church) without God. Some are 
in worse estate than Pagans and Jews; for, living in 
the house of God, they are strangers from God, and 
from the covenant of graces usurping the name of 
Christians, have indeed nothing to do with Christ. 

Some of these, like spiritual vagabonds, as Cain, 
excommunicate themselves from God's presence in 
the use of the means ; or rather like devils, that will 
have nothing to do with God, because they are loath to 
be tormented before their time : they think every 
good sermon, an arraigning of them, and therefore 
keep out of reach. 

Others will present themselves under the means, 
and carry some savour away with them of what they 
hear, but it is only till they meet with the next temp- 
tation, unto which they yield themselves presently 
slaves. These shrowd themselves under a general pro- 
fession, as they did, who called themselves Jews, and 
were nothing less. But, alas ! an empty title will 
bring an empty comfort at last. It was cold comfort 
to the rich man in flames, that Abraham called him 
son : or to Judas, that Christ called him friend ; or 
to the rebellious Jews, that God stiles them his peo- 
ple. Such as our profession is, such will our comfort 
b*. True profession of religion is another thing than 
most men take it to be j it is made up of the outward 



258 THE soul's conflict with itself. 



duty, and the inward: man too 5 which is indeed the 
life and soul of all. What the heart doth not in reli- 
gion, is not done. 

God cares for no retainers, that will only wear his 
livery, but serve themselves. What hast thou to do to 
take his name into thy month, and hatest to he reform- 
ed? Psal. L Saul lived in the bosom of the church, 
yet being a cruel tyrant, when he was in a despe- 
rate plunge, his outward profession did him no good : 
and therefore when he was environed with his ene- 
mies, he uttered this doleful complaint, God hath for- 
saken me, and the Philistines are upon me, 1 Sam. 
xxviii. 15. A pitiful case 5 yet so will it be with all 
those that rest in an outward profession, thinking it 
enough to comoliment with God, when their hearts 
are not right within them. Such will at length be 
forced to cry, ' Sickness is upon me, death is upon 
me, hell is before me, and God hath forsaken me : I 
would have none of God heretofore, now God will 
have none of me/ When David himself had offended 
God, by numbering the people, then God counted 
him but plain David 5 Go and say to David, &c. 2 
Sam. xxiv. 12. whereas before, when he purposed to 
build a temple, then Go tell my servant Bavid, 2 
Sam. vii. 5. When the Israelites had set up an idol, 
then Ged fathers them on Moses; Thy people which 
thou hast brought out of Egypt, Exod. xxxu. 7. He 
would not own them as at other times, then 5 lliey' 
are my people still whilst they keep covenant. No 
care, no present comfort in this near relation. 

The price of the pearl is not known till all else be 
sold, and we see the necessary use of it. So the worth 
of God in Christ is never discerned, till we see our 
lost and undone condition without him, till conscience 
flies in our faces, and drags us to the brink of hell; 
then if ever we taste how good the Lord is, we will 
say, Blessed is the people whose God is the Lord. 
Heretofore I have heard of his loving-kindness, but 
that is not a thousand part of what I see and feel. 
The joy I now apprehend; is unutterable, mcon* 
peivable, 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 259 

Oh then 1 when we have got ten our souls possest of 
God, let our study be, to preserve ourselves in his 
love, to walk close with him, that he may delight to 
abide with us, and never forsake us. How basely 
doth the scripture speak of whatsoever stands in our 
way ? it makes nothing of them. What is man but 
vanity, and less than vanity ? All nations but as a 
drop of the bucket, as the dust of a balances things 
not at all considerable, Isa. xl. 15. Flesh ooks upon 
them as through a multiplying glass making them 
greater than they are 5 but faith, as God doth, sees 
them as nothing. , , 

This is such a blessed condition, as may well chal- 
lenge all our diligence in labouring to be assured ot it 3 
neither is it to be attained or maintained without the 
strength and prime of our care. I speak especially of, 
and in regard of the sense and comfort of it. hor the 
sense of God's favour will not be kept, without keep- 
ing him in our best affections above all things in the 
world, without keeping of our hearts always close and 
near to him, which cannot be without keeping a nar- 
row watch over our loose and unsettled hearts, that 
are ready to stray from God, and fall to the creature. 
Jt cannot be kept without exact arid circumspect 
walking, without constant self-denial, without a con- 
tinual preparation of spirit, to want and forsake any 
thing that God seeth fit to take from us. 

But what of all this ? Can we cross ourselves, or 
spend our labours to better purpose ? One sweet beam 
of God's countenance will requite all this. We beat 
not the air, we plow not in the sand, neither sow in 
a barren soil. God is no barren wilderness.^ Nay, he 
never shews so much of himself, as in suffering, and 
parting with any thing for him, and denying ourselves 
of that, which we think stands not with his great will. 
Great persons require great observance. We can 
deny ourselves, and have men's persons in admiration, 
for hope of some advantage 5 and is any more willing 
and more able to advance us than the great all-suffi- 
cient God? A Christian indeed, undergoes more 
troubles, takes more pains (especially with his own 
heart) than others do.. But what are these to his 



S60 THE SOUL*S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 

gams ? What return so rich, as trading with God > 
What comforts so great, as those that are fetched from 
the fountain ? One day spent in enjoying the light of 
God's countenance, is sweeter than a thousand with- 
out it. We see here, when David was not only shut 
out from all comforts, but lay under many grievances, 
what a fruitful use he makes of this, that God was his 
God. It upholdeth his dejected, it distilleth his un- 
quiet soul : it leadeth him to the rock that was higher 
than he, and there stayeth him. It filleth him with 
comfortable hopes of better times to come. It set 
him above himself, and all troubles and fears what- 
soever. 

Therefore wait still in the use of means, till God 
shine upon thee ; yea, though we know our sins in 
Christ are pardoned, yet there is something more than 
a gracious heart waits for ; that is a good look from 
God, a farther enlargement of heart, and an establish- 
ing in grace. It was not enough for David to have 
his sins* pardoned, but to recover the joy of salvation, 
and freedom of spirit, Psal. li. Therefore the soul 
should always be in a waiting condition, even until it 
be filled with the fulness of God, as much as it is ca- 
pable of. Neither is it quiet alone, or comfort alone, 
that the soul longs after ; no, nor the favour of God 
alone, but a gracious heart to walk worthy of God, 
Is rests not whilst any thing remains, that may breed 
the least strangeness betwixt God and us. 



CHAP. XXXIII. 

Of Experience and Faith ; and how to ivait on God 
comfortably. Helps thereto. 

[ My God. ] 

rp 

X HESE words further imply a special experience 
that David's soul had felt of the goodness of God : he 
had found God distilling the comfort of his goodness 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 2&i 



and truth through the promises, and he knew ha should 
find God again the same he was, if he put him in 
mind of his former gracious dealing. His soul knew 
right well how good God was, and he could seal to 
those truths he had found comfort by: therefore he 
thus speaks to his soul, My soul ; what, my soul ; that 
hast found God so good, so oft, so many ways 5 thou 3 
my soul, to be discouraged, having God, and my God 
with whom I have taken so much sweet counsel, and 
felt so much comfort from, and found always hereto- 
fore to stick so close unto me! Why shouldst thou 
now be in such a case, as if God and thou had been 
strangers one to another. If we could treasure up 
experiments, she former part of our life would come in 
to help the latter, and the longer we live the richer in 
faith we should be. Even as in victories, every former 
overthrow of an enemy helps to obtain a succeeding 
victory. The use of a sanctified memory, is to lose 
nothing that may help in time of need. He had need 
be a well tried, and a known friend, upon whom we 
lay all our salvation and comfort. 

We ought to trust God upon other grounds, though 
we have never tried hum ; but when he helps our faith 
by former experience, this should strengthen our confi- 
dence, and shore up our spirits, and put us on to go 
more cheerfully to God as to a tried friend. If we 
were well read in the story of our lives, we might 
have a divinity of our own, drawn out of the observa- 
tion of God's particular dealing towards us $ we might 
say, this and this truth I dare venture upon, I have 
found it true, I dare build all my happiness upon it. 
As Paul, I know whom I have trusted ; I have tried 
him, he never yet failed me j I am not now to learn 
how faithful he is to those that are his. Every new 
experience is a new knowledge of God, and should fit 
us for new encounters. If we have been good in for- 
mer times, God remembers the kindness of our youth, 
Jer. ii. 2. We should therefore remember the kind- 
ness of God even from our youth. Evidence of what 
we have felt, helps our faith in that, which for the 
-present we feel not. 



362 THE soul's conflict with itself. 

Though it be one thing to live by faith, and another 
thinsr to live by sight, yet the more we see, and feel, 
and taste of God, the more we shall be led to rely on 
him, for that which as yet we neither see nor feel. 
Because thou hast been my helper, saith David, there- 
fore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice, Fsal. 
lxiii 7. The time was, Lord, when thou shewedst 
thyself a gracious Father to me ; and thou art un- 
changeable in thy nature, in thy love, and in thy gifts. 

Yea, when there is no present evidence, but tod 
shews himself as contrary to us, yet a former taste of 
God's goodness will enable to lay claim unto him still. 
God's concealing himself, is but a wise discipline tor 
a time, until we be enabled to bear the full revealing 
of himself unto us for ever. In the mean time, though 
we have some sight and feeling of Gad, yet our con- 
stant living is not by it : the evidence of what we see 
„ot is that which more constantly upholds the soul, 
than the evidence of any thing we either see or feel. 

Yea, though our experience, by reason of our not 
minding of it in trouble, seems many times to stand 
us in no stead ; but we fare as if God had never look- 
ed in mercy upon us : yet, even here, some virtue re- 
mains of former sense, which with the present spirit 
of faith, helps us to look upon God, as ours; as we 
have a present strength from food received, and di- 
gested before ; vessels are something the better for that 
liquor they keep not, but runs through them. . 

But if experience should wholly fail, there is such 
a divine power in faith, as a very little beam of it, 
having no other help than a naked promise, will up- 
hold a soul: howsoever we must neglect no help, for 
God often suspends his comfort, till we have searched 
all our helps. Though we see no light, yet we ought 
to search all crevices for light, and rejoice in the least 
beam of light, that we may see day by It is the na- 
ture of true faith, to search and pry into every corner ; 
and if after all nothing appears, then it casts itselt 
upon God, as in the first conversion, when it had no- 
thing to look upon, but the offer for mercy ; it at 
that time, without former experience, we did trust m 
God, why not now, when we have forgotten our ex- 



THE SOUL* S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 26$ 

perience ? The chief grounds of trusting in God, are 
always the same, whether we feel, or feel not ; nay, 
though for the present we feel the contrary, faith will 
never leave wrestling, till it hath gotten a blessing. 
When faith is driven to work alone, having nothing 
but God, and his bare promise to rely upon, then God 
thinks it lies upon his credit to shew himself as a God 
unto us. God's power in creating light out of dark- 
ness, is never more exalted, than when a guilty soul 
is lifted by God to look for mercy, even when he 
seems armed with justice, to execute vengeance upon 
him ; then the soul is brought to a near conformity 
unto Christ, who, l.When he had the guilt of the 
sins of the whole world upon him 2. When he was 
forsaken, and that he had enjoyed the sweetest com- 
munion with his Father that ever creature could do : 
and not only so, but, 3. Felt the weight of God's just 
displeasure against sin : and, 4. Was abased lower 
than ever any creature was : yet still he held fast God 
as his God. 

In earthly matters, if we have a title to any thing 
by gift, contract, inheritance, or howsoever, we will 
not be wrangled out of our right. And shall we not 
maintain our right in God, against all the tricks and 
cavils of Satan, and our own hearts ? We must labour 
to have something, that we may shew that we are 
within the covenant. If we be never so little entered 
into the covenant, we are safe. And herein lies the 
special comfort of sincerity, that though our grace be 
little, yet it is of the right stamp, and shews us that 
we are servants, and sons, though unworthy to be so. 
Here a little truth will go far. Hence it is that the 
•saints, in all their extremities, still allege something 
that shews they are within the covenant \ We are chil- 
dren, thy people, and thy servants, &c. God is mindful 
of his covenant j but is well pleased, that we should 
mind him of it too, and mind it ourselves to make use 
of it, as David doth here. He knew if he could bring 
his soul to his God, all would be quiet God -is so 
ready to mercy, that he delighteth in it ; and delight- 
eth in Christ, through whom he may shew mercy not- 
withstanding his justice, as being fully satisfied in 



264 THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 

Christ. Mercy is his name that he will be known by. 
It is his glory which we behold in the face of Christ, 
who is nothing but grace and mercy itself. Nay, he 
pleadi reasons for mercy even from the sinfulness and 
misery of his creature, and maintains his own mercy 
against all the wrangling cavil of flesh and blood, that 
would put mercy from them • and hearken more wil- 
lingly to Satan's objections, than God's arguments, 
tilUt length God subdues their spirits so far, as they 
become ashamed for standing out so long against him. 
How ready will God be to shew mercy to us when we 
seek it, that thus presseth upon us, when we seem to 
refuse it? If God should take advantage of our back- 
wardness, what would become of us ? Satan's course is 
to discourage those that God would have encouraged, 
and to encourage those whom God never speaks peace 
unto, and he thinks to gam both ways. Our care 
therefore should be, when we resolve upon Gods 
ways, to labour that no discouragement fasten upon us, 
seeing God and his word speak all comfort to us. 

And because the best of a Christian is to come, we 
should raise up our spirits to wait upon God, for that 
mercy which is yet to come. All inferior waitings for 
good things here, do but train us up in the comfortable 
expectation of the main. 

This waiting on God requires a great strength of 
*race : by reason not enly, 1. Of the excellency of the 
things waited for, which are far beyond any thing we 
can hope for in the world : but, 2. In regard of the 
loner day which God takes before he performed his 
promise: And, 3. From thence the tediousness of the 
delay 4. The many troubles of life m our way. 5. 
The great opposition we meet with in the world ; 0. 
And scandals ofttimes, even from them that are in 
sreat esteem for religion : 7- Together with the unto- 
wardness of our nature, in being ready to be put oft by 
the least discouragement. In these respects there 
must be more than a human spirit to hold up the 
soul, and carry it along to the end of that which we 

wait for. ... A 

But if God be our God, that love which engaged 
him to bind himself to us in precious promises, will 



THE SOUL's' CONFLICT WITH ITSELF, 205 

Furnish us likewise with grace needful, till we be pos- 
sessed of them. He will give us leave to depend upon 
him, both for happiness, and all sanctifying and quiet- 
ing graces, which may support the soul, till it oorae to 
its perfect rest in God. For God so quiets the hearts 
of his children, as withal, he makes them better, and 
fitter for that which he provides for them : grace and 
peace go together 5 our God is the God of grace and 
peace, of such graces as breed peace. 

1. As he is a God of love, nay, love itself to us 3 so 
a taste of his love, raising up our love, is better than 
wine, full of nothing but encouragement 5 it will fetch 
up a soul from the deepest discouragement : this grace 
quickeneth all other graces 5 it hath so much spirits in 
it, as will sweeten all conditions. Love enables to wait, 
as Jacob for Leah, seven years. Nothing is hard to 
love j it carries all the powers of the soul with it. 

2. As he is a God of hope, so by this grace, as an 
anchor fastened in heaven within the vail, he stayeth 
the soul 3 that though as a ship at anchor, it may be 
tossed and moved, yet not removed from its station. 
This hope, as cork, will keep the soul, though in some 
heaviness from sinking, and as an helmet bear off the 
blows that they endanger not our life. 

3. As God is a God of hope; so, by hope, of pa- 
tience, which is a grace whereby the soul resigneth up 
itself to God in humble submission to his will, because 
lie is our God^ as David in extremity comforteth him- 
self in the Lord his God. Patience breeds comfort, 
because it brings experience with it of God's owning 
of us to be his. The soul shod and fenced with this, 
is prepared against all rubs and thorns in our way, so 
as we are kept from taking offence. All troubles we 
suffer, do but help patience to its perfect Work, by 
subduing the unbroken sturdiness of our spirits, when 
we feel by experience, we get but more blows, by 
standing out against God. 

4. The Spirit of God likewise is a Spirit of meekness, 
whereby though the soul be sensible of evil, yet it 
moderates such distempers, as would otherwise rob a 
man of himself - 7 and together with patience keepeth 

N 



im THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 

the soul in possession of itself. It stays ™rmnnng 

God bein* able to give the soul full sat station, ror 
SardtSnes, God knows how to diet us: rf our 

«Bi. Thislifteth ^S ^f^leSh^S 

dllot ?for P he soul to rest in , therefore the Sp.nt of 
God raiseth it up to a spiritual enlargement of joy So 
SuchToyNornU g 

nmch ^J^ij^p^S over the thickest 
nature how a little »«g" wi " I t deal of 

?° UdS ^^W^GStoJfoiU brings 
dross. Ihe Know teuge driveth out dark 

such a light of joy m o the soul as dr ^ 

rrlvhttf SS Vge^loS makes boll much 
If the light of from ouv communion and 



rn* soul's conflict with itself. 267 

m hira ? A soul truly cheerful rejoiceth that God whom 
it loveth, should think it worthy to endure any thing for 
him. This joy often ariseth to a spirit of glory, even 
in matter of outward abasement 5 if the trouble accom- 
panied with disgrace continue, the Spirit of glory rests 
upon us ; and it will rest so long, until it make us more 
than conquerors, even then when we seem conquered : 
for not only the cause, but the spirit riseth higher, the 
more the enemies labour to keep it under, as we see ia 
Stephen, Acts vii. 

With this joy goes a spirit of courage and confidence. 
What can daunt that soul, which in the greatest trou- 
bles hath made the great God to be its own ? Such a 
spirit dares bid dehance to all opposite power, setting 
the soul above the werld, having 3 spirit larger and 
higher than the world, and seeing all, but God, beneath 
it, as being in heaven already in its head. After Moses 
and Micah had seen God in his favour to them, how 
little did they regard the angry countenances of those 
mighty princes, that were in their times the terrors of 
the world ? The courage of a Christian is not only 
against sensible danger, and of flesh and blood, but 
against principalities, and powers of darkness, against 
the whole kingdom of Satan, the god of the world, 
whom he knows shortly shall be trodden under fits feet, 
Rom. xvi. 20. Satan and his may for a time exercise 
us, but they cannot hurt us. True believers are so 
many kings and queens, so many conquerors over that 
which others are slaves to : they can overcome them- 
selves in revenge ; they can despise those things that 
the world admires, and see an excellency in that which 
the world sets light by j they can set upon spiritual 
duties, which the world cannot tell how to go about, 
and endure that which others tremble to think of, and 
that upon wise reasons and a sound foundation ; they 
can put off themselves, and be content to he nothing, 
so their God may appear the greater, and dare under- 
take and undergo any thing for the glory of God. This 
courage of Christians among the heathens was counted 
obstinacy j* but they knew not the power of the Spirit 



* Tertul. in Apologets 
N 2 



Z6$ THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 

of Christ in his, which is ever strongest, when they 
are weakest in themselves ; they knew not the privy 
armour of proof that Christians had about their hearts, 
and thereupon counted their courage to be obstinacy. 

Some think the martyrs were too prodigal of their 
blood, and that they might have been better advised ; 
but such are unacquainted with the force of the love 
of God kindled in the heart of his child, which makes 
him set such a high price upon Christ and his truth, 
that he counts not his life dear unto him,_ Acts xx. 24. 
He knows he is not his own, but hath given up him- 
self to Christ 3 and therefore all that is his yea, if he 
had more lives to give for Christ, he should have them. 
He knows he shall be no loser by it. He knows it is 
not a loss of his life, but an exchange for a better. 

We see the creatures that are under us, will be cou- 
rageous in the eye of their masters that are of a supe- 
rior nature above them: and shall not a Cjmstianbe 
courageous in the presence of his great Lord and Mas- 
ter, who is present with him, about him, and in him ? 
Undoubtedly he "that hath seen God once m the face of 
Christ, dares look the grimest creature in the face, yea, 
death itself under any shape The fear of all things 
flies before such a soul. Only a Christian is not 
ashamed of his confidence. Why should not a Chris- 
tian be as bold for his God, as others are for the base 
gods they make to themselves > 

8 7. Besides a spirit of courage, for establishing the 
soul, is required a spirit of constancy, whereby the 
soul is steeled and preserved immovable m all condi- 
tions, whether presenter to come, and is not changed 
in changes. And why ? but because the spirit knows 
that God on whom it rests is unchangeable. "W e our- 
selves areas quicksilver, unsettled and moveable, till 
the spirit of constancy fix us. We see David sets out 
God in glorious terms, borrowed from all that is strong 
in the creature, to shew that he had great reason to be 
constant, and cleaving to him; He B«j« W«J 
luckier, the horn of my salvation, my high toiver, tSc 
Psal xviii. 2. God is a rock, so deep, that no floods 
can undermine; so high, that no waves can reach 
though they rise never so much. When we stand 



THE SOUL S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF* 26C| 



ypon this rock that is higher than we, we may over- 
look all waves, swelling, and foaming, and breaking 
themselves, but not hurting us. And thereupon may 
triumphantly conclude with the apostle, that neither 
height, nor depth shall ever separate us from the love 
of God, Rom yiil 39. Whatsoever is in the creature 
he found in his, and more abundant • the soul cannot 
with an eye of faith look upon God in Christ, but it 
will be in its degree as God is quiet and constant, the 
spirit aimeth at such a condition, as it beholdeth in 
God towards itself. 

This constancy is upheld by endeavouring to keep 
a constant sight of God, for want of which it often 
fares with us, like men, that having a city or tower 
in their eye, passing through uneven grounds, hills, 
and dales, sometimes get the sight thereof, sometimes 
lose it, and sometimes recover it again, though the 
tower be still where it was, and they nearer to it than 
they were at first. So it is often with our uneven 
spirits I when once we have a sight of God, upon any 
present discouragement, we let fall our spirits, and 
lose the sight of him, until by an eye of faith we 
recover it again, and see him still to be where he was 
at first. The cherishing of passions takes away the 
sight of God, as clouds take away the sight of the sun, 
though the sun be still where it was, and shineth as 
much as ever it did. We use to say, when the body 
of the moon is betwixt the sun and us, that the sun is 
eclipsed, when indeed not the sun but the earth is 
darkened, the sun loseth not one of its glorious beams. 
God is often near us, as he was unto Jacob, and we 
are not aware of it. God was near the holy man 
Asaph, when he thought him afar off / am continu- 
ally ivilh thee, saith he ; thou holdest me ly my right 
hand. Psal. Ixxiii. 27. Mary, in her weeping passion, 
could not see Christ before her, he seemed a stranger 
to her. So long as we can keep our eye upon God, 
we are above the reach of sin, or'any spiritual danger. 



270 THE SOUL'S CONFLICT TVXTH ITS^X?, 



CHAP. XXXIV, 



Of confirming this trust in God. Seek it of God him- 
self. Sins hinder not ; nor Satan. Conclusion and 
Soliloquy. 

~ 

Sect. L 



Of confirming this Trust in God. 

jBuT to return to the drawing out of our trust by 
waiting. Our estate in this world is still to wait, and 
happy it is that we have so great things to wait for ; 
but our comfort is, that we have not only a furniture 
of graces, 2 Pet. i. 5. one strengthening another as 
stones in an arch, but likewise God vouchsafeth some 
drops of the sweetness of the things we wait for, both 
to increase our desire of those things, as likewise to 
enable us more comfortably to wait for them. And 
though we should die waiting, only cleaving to the 
promise with little or no taste of the good promised ; 
yet this might comfort us, that there is a life to come, 
that is a life of sight and sense, and not only of taste, 
but of fulness, and that for evermore, Psal. xvi. alt. 
Our condition here is to live by faith and not by sight j 
only to make our living by faith more lively, it pleas- 
eth God, when he sees fit, to increase our earnest of 
that we look for. Even here God waits to be gracious 
to those that wait for him, Isa. xxx. 1 1. And in hea- 
ven Christ waits for us; we are part of his fulness, 
Eph i 23. It is part of his joy that we shall be where 
he is, John xvii. 24. He will not therefore be long 
without us. The blessed angels and saints m heaven 
wait for us. Therefore let us be content, as strangers, 
to wait awhile till we come home, and then we shall 
be for ever with the Lord: there is our eternal rest, 
where we shall enjoy both God and ourselves in perfect 
happiness, being as without need, so without desire 



TH* SOUL'S CONFUCT WITH ITSELF. 27 '» 

the least change. When the timeof 

in? for Heb iv. 0. when we sAatf r«</ro » all labour 
7£anTZow 9 and lay our heads in the boson* ot 

Christ for ever, Rev. xiv. .-.wter 
It stands us therefore upon to get this gteat charter 
more and more confirmed to us, that God u ou .God 
for it is of everlasting use unto us. It first begins ai 
oureneringinto covenant with God, and continues 
Sonly unfo death, but entereth into heaven with us. 
As it is* our heaven upon earth to enjoy God as ours 
so it is the very heaven of heaven, that there v e shall 
forever behold him, and have communion w.th hin^ 
The degrees of manifesting this propriety in God are 
divers, rising one upon another, as the hght clears up 
by little anilittle till it comes to a perfect day, Pro .v. 
18 1. As the ground of all the rest, we apprehend 
God to be a God of some peculiar persons, as favour- 
Ss above others. 2. From hence is stirred up m the 
soul a rettless desire, that God would discover himself 
so to it, as he doth to those that are his tha he would 
Ss t our souls with the salvatioa of h,s chosem. 3 
Hence follows a putting of the soul upon God an 
adventuring itself on his mercy. 4. Upon this, God 
len he sleth fit, discovers by his Spirit that he is ours. 
5 Whence followeth a dependance on him as ours, 
for all things that may carry us on in the way to heaven 
6. Courag! and boldness in setting ourselves against 
whatsoever may oppose us in the way : as the three 
young men in Daniel, Our God can dekverus £Ar 
will, Dan. iii. Our God is in heaven, &c Psal. cxv. 
3. 7. After which springs a sweet spiritual security 
whereby the soul is freed from slavish fears and glon- 
Tth in God as ours in all conditions. And this ,s term- 
ed by the apostle, not only assurance, but the ridies of 
assurance, Col. Si. 2. Yet this » not so clear and 
full, as it shall be in heaven, because some clouds ma) 
after arise out of the remainder of corruption, _ which 
may something overcast this assurance, unrf the^it 
of God's countenance in heaven for ever scatters, alt, 



272 THE soul's conflict with itself. 



There being so great happiness in this nearness be- 
twixt God and us, no wonder if Satan labour to hinder 
the same, by interposing the guilt and heinousness of 
our sins, which he knows of themselves will work a 
separation : but these upon our first serious thought of 
returning, will be removed. As they could not hinder 
our meeting with God, so they may cause a strangeness- 
for a time, but not a parting : a hiding of God's coun- 
tenance, but not a banishing of us from it. Peter had 
denied Christ, and the rest of the apostles had left him 
alone: yet our Saviour, after his resurrection, forgets 
all former unkindnesses, he did not so much as object it 
to them, but sends Mary, who herself had been a great 
sinner, as an apostle to the apostles, and that presently 
to tell them that he was risen, John xx. his care would 
have no delay. He knew they were in great heaviness 
for their unkindness. Though he was now entered 
into the first degree of his glory, yet we see his glory 
made him not forget his poor disciples. Above all 
he was most careful of Peter, as deeper in sin than the 
rest, and therefore deeper in sorrow. Go tell Peter , 
he needs most comfort. But what is the message ? 
that / ascend not to my Father alone, but to your Fa- 
ther ; not to my God only, but to your God. 

And shall not we be bold to say so after Christ hath 
taught us, and put this claim into our mouths ? If once 
we let this hold go, then Satan hath us where he would, 
every little cross then dejects us. Satan may darken 
the joy of our salvation, but not take away the God 
of our salvation, David, after his crying sin of murder, 
prays, Restore unto me the joy of thy salvatiin, Psal. 
li.this he had lost: but in the same psalm he prays. 
Deliver me from Hood, O God, thou God of my salva- 
tion : therefore whatsoever sense, reason, temptation, 
the law, or guilt upon conscience shall say, nay, how- 
ever -God himself, by his strange carriage to us may 
seem to be, yet let us cast ourselves upon him, and not 
suffer this plea to be wrung from us, but shut our eyes 
to all, and look upon God all-gracious and all-sufficient, 
who is the Father, the begetter of comfort, the God 
the Creator of consolation, not only of things that may 
-comfort, but of the comfort itself conveyed through 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 273 

these unto us. Who is a God like unto our God, that 
passeth by the sins of the remnant of his people ? Mic. 
vii J 8 This should not be thought on without ad- 
miration, and indeed there is nothing so much de- 
serves our admiration as such mercy, of such a God, 

to such as we. , 

Since God hath avouched us to be his peculiar people, 
let us avouch him, Dent, xxvi, 18. and since he hath 
past his word for us, let us pass our words for him that 
we will be his, and stand for him, and to our power 
advance his cause. Thus David, out of an enlarged 
spirit saith, Thou art mv God, and I will praise thee; 
thou art « God, and I will exalt thee, Psal. cxvin 28. 
Whatsoever we engage for God we are sure to be 
miners by The true Christian is the wisest merchant, 
and makes the best adventure. He may stay long, 
but is sure of a safe and rich return. A godly man * 
most wise for himself. We enter on religion upon 
these terms, to part with ourselves, and all, when God 
shall call for it. 



Sect. If. 

Sins hinder not this claim of God being Qurs r nor Satan. 

GOD much rejoiceth in-sinners converted, as monu- 
ments of his mercy ; and because the remembrance of 
their former sins, whets them on to be more earnest 
to his service, especially after they have felt the sense 
of God's love, they even burn witn a holy desire of 
honouring him, whom before they dishonoured and 
stand not upon doing or suffering any thing for him, 
but cheerfully embrace all occasions of expressing obe- 
dience Gou hath more work from them, than from 
others; why then should any be discouraged ? 

Neither is it sins after conversion, that nullify this 
claim of God to be ours. For this is the grand differ- 
ence betwixt the two covenants, that now God wd be 
merciful to our sins , If our hearts by faith be sprinkled 
mth the blood of Christ, Heb. x. 22. Though one 

N 5 



274 THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 

sin was enough to bring condemnation, yet the free 
gift of grace in Christ, is of many offences unto justifi- 
cation. And we have a sure ground for this; for this 
righteousness of Christ, is God's righteousness, and 
God will thus glorify it, that it shall stand good to those 
that by faith apply it against their daily sins, even till 
at once we cease both to live and sin. For this very 
end was the Son of God willingly made sin, that we 
might be freed from the same. And if all our sins laid 
upon Christ could not take away God's love from him, 
shall they take away God's love from us, when by 
Christ's blood our souls are purged from them ? 

O mercy of all mercies, that when we were once 
his, and gave away ourselves for nothing, and so be- 
came neither his, nor our own, that then he would 
vouchsafe to become ours, and make us his by such a 
way, as all the angels in heaven stand wondering at, 
even his Son's not only taking our nature and miserable 
condition, but our sin upon him, that that being done 
away, we might, through Christ, have boldness with 
God as ours, who is now in heaven, appearing there 
for us, until he bring us home to himself, and presents 
us to his Father for his for ever. 

Think not then only that we are God s, and he ours, 
but from what love, and by what glorious means this 
was brought to pass : What can possibly disable this 
-kirn, when God for this end hath founded a covenant 
of peace so strongly in Christ, that sin itself cannot dis- 
annul it > Christ was therefore manifested, that he 
might destroy this greatest zrorh of the devil, 1 John 
m 5 8 Forgiveness of sin now is one chief part of 
our portion in God. It is good therefore not to pore 
and plod so much upon sin and vileness by it, as to 
Wet that mercy that rejoiceth over judgment. It we 
once be God's, though we drink this deadly poison, it 
shall not hurt us, Mark xvi. 18. God will make a 
medicine, an antidote of it ; and for all other evils, 
the fruit of them is by God's sanctifying the same, the 
taking away sin out of our natures ; so that lesser evils 
are sent to take away the greater. If God could not 
over-rule evils to his own ends, he would never suffer 
£henv 



TKJE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF* 2J& 



Sect. UK 

The Benefit arising from. God's being oursr. 

1 HAVE stood the longer upon this, because it is 
the one thing needful, the one thing we should desire, 
that this one God, ia whom, and from whom is all 
good, should be ours. All promises of all good in the 
new covenant spring first from this, that God will be 
ours, and we shall be his, Jer. xxxiL What can we 
have more ? and what is in the world less that will con- 
tent us long, or stand us in any stead, especially at that 
time when all must be taken from us > Let us put up 
all our desires for all things we stand in need of, in 
this right we have to God, in Christ, who hath 
brought God and us together : he can deny us nothing, 
that hath not denied himself. If he be moved from 
hence to do us good, that we are his let us be moved 
to fetch all good from him, on the same right that he: 
is ours. 

The persuasion of this will free us from all pusillani- 
mity, lowliness, and narrowness of spirit, when we 
shall think that nothing can hurt us, but it must break 
through God first. If God g'we quietness, who shall^ 
make trouble ? Job xxxiv. 2Q. If God be with us, 
who can be against us > This is that which puts com- 
fort into all our comforts, that rnaketb any burden 
light : this h always ready for all purposes : our God 
is a present and a seasonable heir* All evils are at his 
command to be gone, and all comforts at his command 
to come. It is but, go comfort,, go peace to such a 
man's heart, clear him, raise him -> go salvation, res- 
cue such and such a soul in distress : so said, and so 
done presently. Nay, with reverence be it spoken, 
so far doth God pass over himself unto us, that he is 
content himself to be commanded by us. Concerning 
the work of my hands command ye me, Isa. xlv. H. 
Lay the care and charge of that upon me. He is con- 
tent to be out-wrestled, and over-powered by a spirits 
ef faith \ as in Jacob, and the woman of Canaan.,, to. 



the soul's conflict with itself. 



be, as it were, at our service. He would not have u$ 
want any thing where he is able to help us. - And what 
is there wherein God cannot help us? If Christians 
knew the power they have in heaven and earth, what 
were able to stand against them ? What wonder is it if 
faith overcome the world, if it overcomes him that 
made the world ? that faith should be 'almighty, that 
hath the Almighty himself ready to use all his power 
for the good of them to whom he hath given the power 
of himself unto ? Having therefore such a living foun- 
tain to draw from, such a centre to rest in, having all 
in one, and that one ours, why should we knock at 
any other door ? we may go boldly to God now, as - 
made ours, being bone of our bone, and flesh of our flesh. 
We may go more comfortably to God, than to any 
angel or saint. God in the second person hath vouch- 
safed to take our nature upon him, but not that of 
ano-els. Our God, and our man, our God-man is as- 
cended into the high court of heaven, to his and to our 
God, clothed with our nature. Js there any more able- 
and willing to plead our cause, or whom we may trust 
business with, than he, who is \n heaven Jor all things 
for us, appertaining to God, Heb. v. 2 

It should therefore be the chief care of a Christian,, 
upon knowledge of what he stands in need of, to know 
where to supply all. It should raise up a holy -shame* 
and indignation in us, that there should be so much m 
God, who is so near unto us in Christ, and we make 
so little use of him. What good can any thing do us, 
if we use it not ? God is ours to use, and yet men will 
rather use shifts, and unhallowed policies, than be be- 
holden to God, who thinks himself never more honour- 
ed by us, than when we make use of him If we 
believe any thing will do us good, we naturally make 
cut for the obtaining of it. If we believe any thing 
will hurt us, we study to decline it. And certain it is, 
if we believe that so much good were in God, we 
would then apply ourselves to him, and him to our- 
selves • whatsoever virtue is in any thing, it is conveyed 
by application and touching of it j that whereby we 
touch God, is our faith, which never toucheth him 
but it draws virtue from him : upon the first touch of 



i 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 2/7 



faith, spiritual life is begun. It is a bastard in nature, 
to believe any thing can work upon another, without 
spiritual or bodily touch. And it is a monster in reli- 
gion, to believe any thing saving good will issue from 
God, if we turn from him, and shut him out, and our 
hearts be unwilling. Where faith is, there it is be- 
tween the soul and God, as betwixt the iron and the 
loadstone, a present closing and drawing of one to ano- 
ther. This is the beginning of eternal life,, so to know 
God the Father, and his Son Christ, as thereby to em- 
brace aim with the arms of faith and love, as ours* by 
the best title he can make us, who 4s truth itself. 

Since then our happiness lies out of ourselves, m 
God, we should go out of ourselves for it, and first get 
into Christ, and so unto God in him 5 and then labour 
by the Spirit of the Father and the Son, to maintain 
acquaintance with both, that so God may be ours, not 
only in covenant, but in communion, hearkening what 
he will say to us, and opening our spirits, disclosing 
our wants, consulting and advising in all our distresses 
with him. By keeping this acquaintance with God.,, 
peace and all good is conveyed to us. 

Thereafter, as we maintain this communion further 
with him, we, out of love, study to please hinv, by 
exact walking according to his commands ; then we 
shall feel increase of peace as 6ur care increaseth ; then 
he will come and sup with us, and be free in his re- 
freshing of us. Then he will shew himself more and 
more to us, and manifest still a farther degree of pre- 
sence in joy and strength, until communion in grace, 
ends in communion in glory. 

But we must remember, as David doth here, to 
desire and delight in God himself, more than in any 
thing that is God's : It is a sign of St. Paul's pure love 
to the Corinthians, when he said, I seek not yours hut 
you. We should seek for no blessing of God so much 
as himself. , 

What is there in the world of equal goodness to 
draw us away from our God ? If to preserve the dear- 
est thing we have in the world, we break with God, 
God will take away the comfort we look to have by it, 
and it will prove but a dead contentment, if not a tor- 



2f& THE SCULPS CONFLICT WITH ITSELfV 



ment to us. Whereas, if we care to preserve commu- 
nion with God, we shall be sure to find in him whatso- 
ever we deny for him 5 honour, riches, pleasures, 
friends, all : so much the sweeter, by how much we 
have them more immediately from the spring head. 
We shall never find God to be our God more, than 
when for making of him to be so, we suffer any thing 
for his sake We enjoy never more of him than then. 
At the first we mav seek to him, as rich to supply 
our wants, as a physician to cure our souls and bodies y 
but here we must not rest till we come to rejoice in 
him as our friend, and from thence rise to an admira- 
tion of him for his own excellencies, that being so high 
in himself, out of his goodness would stoop so low to 
us And we should delight in the meditation of him, 
not only as good to us, but as good in himself ; because 
goodness of bounty springs from goodness of dispo- 
sition : He dotk good, because he is good, A natural 
man delights more in God's gifts, than in his grace. 
If he desires grace, it is to grace himself, not as grace, 
making like unto God, and issuing from the first grace, 
the free favour of God ; by which means men come tc^ 
have the sifts of God without God himself. But alas ! 
what are all other goods without the chief good ? they- 
are but as flowers, which are long in planting, in che- 
rishing, and growing, but short in enjoying the sweet- 
ness of them. David here joys in God himself; he 
cares for nothing in the world, but what he may have 
with his favour ; and whatever else he desires, he 
desires only that he may have the better ground from, 
thence to praise his God. 



Sect. IV. 



The Conclusion, and Soliloquy. 

THE sum of all is this, The state of God: s dear chil- 
dren in this world, is to he cast into variety of condi- 
tions ; wherein they, consisting of nature, flesh, and 
spirit, every principle hath its own and proper working* 



THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 27£fc 



They are sensible as flesh and blood, they are sensible 
to discouragements, as sinful flesh and blood ; but 
they recover themselves as having a higher principle, 
God's Spirit, above flesh and blood in them. 

Jn this conflicting state, every principle labouring 
to maintain itself, at length by help of the Spirit, 
backing and strengthening his own work, grace gets 
the better, keeping nature within bounds, and sup- 
pressing corruption. And this the soul, so far as it is 
spiritual, doth by gathering itself to itself, and by rea- 
soning the case so far, till it concludes and joins upon 
this issue, that the only way to attain sound peace, is 
(when all other means fail) to trust in God. And 
thereupon he lays a charge upon his soul so to do, it 
being a course grounded upon the highest reason, even 
the unchangeable goodness of God, who out of the 
riches of his mercy, having chosen a people in this 
world, which should be to the glory of his mercy, will 
^ive them matter of setting forth his praise, in shewing 
some token of good to them, as being those on whom 
he had fixed his love, and to whom he will appear, not 
only a Saviour, but salvation itself. Nothing but sal- 
vation : as the sun is nothing but light, so whatsoever 
proceeds from him to them, tends to further salvation. 
All his ways towards them lead to that ; which ways of 
his, though for a time they are secret, not easily found 
out, yet at length God will be wonderful in them, to 
the admiration of his enemies themselves, who shall be 
forced to say, God hath done great, things for them ; 
and all from this ground, that God is our God in cove- 
nant. Which words are a stern that rule and guide the 
whole text. 

For why should we not be disquieted, when we are 
disquieted ? Why should we not be cast down when 
we are cnst down ? Why should we trust in God as a 
Saviour ? • but that he is our God, making himself so to 
us in his choicest favours : doing that for us, which 
none else can do, and which he doth to none else that 
are not his in a gracious manner. This blessed inter- 
course betwixt God's Spirit and our spirits, is the hinge 
upon which all turns : without this, no comfort is com- 
fortable 5 with this, no trouble can be very troublesome >, 



2S0 THE SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 

Without this assurance there is little comfort ice. 
soliloquies ; unless, when we speak to ourselves, we 
ca sjeak to God as ours. For, in desperate cases 
our so P ul can say nothing to itself, to stdl itself urde 
it be suggested by God : Discouragements will appear 
greater the soul than any comfort, unless God comes 

in See OU therefore David's art; he demands of himself 
wh y he was so cast down ? The cause was apparent, 
because there were troubles without, and terrors , wi h- 
fn, and none to comfort. Well, grant tins, sa.th the 
Spirit of God in him, (as the worst must be granted) 
vet saith the Spirit, Trust in God -So I have. 
y Why then, wait in trusting ? Light is sown for the 
righteous; it comes not up on the sudden , we must 
not think to sow and reap both at once. If trouble oe 
lengthened, lengthen thy patience. . 

What good will come of this? •• .. 

God will wait to do thee that good, for whicn thou 
shall praise him ; he will deal so graciously with thee, 
as he will deserve thy praise ; he will shew thee ins sal- 
Nation. And new favours will stir thee up t<; , sing , new 
songs : every new recovery of ourselves or inends, is 
as it were a new life, and miuisters new matter of 
praise. And upon offering this sacrifice of praise,, 
the heart is further enlarged to pray tor fresh ble.smgs. 
We are never fitter to pray, than after praise. 

But in the mean time I hang down my head; whilst 
mine enemies carry themselves highly, and my friends 

" cJdthi. own time (which is best for thee) will be 
the salvation of thy countenance ; he will compass thee 
about with songs of deliverance, and make it appear at 
last, that he hath care of thee. 

But why then doth God appear as a stranger to me 
That thou shouldst follow after him with he 
stronger faith and prayer: he withdraws himself .that 
thou shouldst be the more earnest in seeking after him. 
God speaks the sweetest comfort to the heart m the 
wilderness. Happily thou art not yet low enough, 
nor purged enough. Thy affections are not hrcughly 
crucified to the world y and therefore it will not yet 



XRK SOUL'S CONFLICT WITH ITSELF. 281 

appear that it is God's good-will to deliver thee. Wert 
thou a fit subject of mercy, God would bestow it on 
thee. 

But what ground hast thou to build thyself so strongly 
upon God ? 

He hath offered, and made himself to be my €od 9 
and so hath shewed himself in former times : And I 
have made him, my God, by yielding him his sove- 
reignty in my heart : Besides the present evidence of 
his blessed Spirit clearing the same, and many pecu- 
liar tokens of his love, which I daily do enjoy ; though 
sometimes the beams of his favour are eclipsed, Those 
that are God's, besides their interest and right in him, 
have oft a sense of the same even in this life, as a fore- 
taste of that which is to come. To the seal of grace 
stamped upon their hearts, God super adds a fresh seal 
of joy and comfort, by the presence and witness of his 
Spirit. And shews likewise some outward token for 
good upon them, whereby "he makes it appear, that 
%e hath set apart him that is godly for himself] as his 
own, Psal. iv. 3. 

Thus we see that discussing of objections in the con- 
sistory of the soul, settles the soul at last : Faith at 
length silencing all risings to the contrary. All motion 
tends to rest, and ends in it $ God is the center and 
resting place of the soul ; and here David takes up his 
rest, and so let us. Then whatsoever times come^ w© 
are sure of an hiding-place and sanctuary, 



FINIS, 



INDEX. 



A. 

Page 



A CTIONS of men, what are the principles of 

"T* 111 

them. - . , O ofi 

Admiration, God's love to be admired, 

Adventure of faith, makes a rich return, 
Affections* their conflict one with a™™"*/ 1 
how to be ordered, 53. In case of God s dis- 
honour no affection is excessive, 54 ; wny tney 
do not always follow the judgment, 187- ^oa 
most to be affected, 
Afflictions, should deal with ourselves to get quiet- ^ 
ness in them, 

Appearance of salvation m the countenance, ^ 
whence, and why, ■ „,., 

Application of mercy in particular necessary , -38 , 
the reasons thereof, ib. in the wicked it is a he, 
230. It is no easy matter to say, my God, 
240; when it is right, 244. a shame not to ^ 
improve it, ^07 

the want thereof, 
Back, faith to be backed with strong reasons and ^ 

BeXof fwell-ordered soul, 68; the Christian's £ 
work performed in season, a beauty, g - 

^Srf£w.rlpeace,.tmiook.tth y «lfU»enaa J 75 



213 

218 



iKBEX. 283 
Page 

Books, all written to amend the book of conscience, 34 
C. 

Casting down disquiets, and why, 53. remedies 
against it, f 24 

Censure, not to be past on Christians distempered, 
21. dangerous to do it, ib» 

Change of nature changeth all, <H 

Changes must be fore thought of, 65. caution in 
fore-casting them, 60. directions concerning it, 6l 

Character of a good soul, 1 87 

Christ is salvation clothed in man's dftesh, 230 

Christian, how to judge of his state, 14. evil in 
him not to be too much looked upon., 20. the 
difference between a carnal and a real one, 216 

Christian calling, what is the true ability to it, 201. 
grace, not gifts only, ib. particular calling, 
directions for it, 219 

Combat, spiritual, how discerned from that of 
common grace and light, 43 

Comfort, to be found in the church's trouble, ib. 
amiss sought in sanctification, 15. yet to have 
and hold comfort, grow up in holiness, l6 

Comforters, in a way of humanity, many, 114 
few in a way of Christianity, ib. graces necessary 
in a good comforter, 115. method of comfort- 
ing, ibid, a sin not to comfort the afflicted, 1 17. 
how comfort tendered doth no good, 19 mis- 
carriages therein, ib 

Communion with God to be sought, 212. and how 
Christians have continual ground of it, ib, 

Communion of friends, in watching over one ano- 
ther, 108. in comforting one another, 110 

Complaint, we ought to complain of ourselves, 
not of God, nor others, 39 

Concupiscence, not severely censured by Papists, 77 

Condition of life, none wherein we may not exer- 
cise some grace, 72. A man can be in no con- 
dition, wherein a man can be at a loss, and 
cannot help him, 133 

Confidence in ourselves, how chased away, 122. 
confidence for mercies, warranted to us as well 
as to David, or others, 214 



ryojt INDEX. , 

2b4 Page 
Conflict, that of grace and corruption, much casts 
us down, 191. should make us trust in God the 

more, . . . j 1 j 

Conflicts in man's soul, the various kinds and de- ^ 

grees of them, , . L 

Conscience, when not clear, brings disqmetness, 10 
Consideration, the best objects of it, J* 
Contentment, to be framed to ourselves, and how, » 
it is a special means of quieting the soul, v<* 
Continuance of sin, or sins of continuance, dan- 

gerous, 178. and how to be dealt withal, 1/9 
Corruption, how far curbed or repressed by God, so 
Corruptions, remaining in a holy heart are natu- 
ral, 74. they would not be controuled, ?5. ana 
what follows, 
Court of conscience in man, 27. wny we are so, . 

backward to keep this court, 
D. 

Death, comfort in the hour of it, ,260. in the state 

Dehy" in praising of God, to be avoided, 221 
Defects, in life, rise from defects m trust, 160 

there is a supply for all our defects, A y* 
Deordination of nature to be looked upon, and 
how, 83 . most needful so to do, ^ 
Denial of ourselves necessary, and wherein, ?G< 
notes of it, ^ \ 

Desertion, then Christ should be put between Goa ^ . 

and us, ^73 
Despair of mercy, no cause of it, % 
Desperation may be, where there is only a general . 

apprehension of mercy, , • * 
Discouragement in affliction, incident to God s 
own people, 6. causes hereof in ourselves, 11. 
privatWand positive one, 11, 19- we are apt 
to cast down ourselves, 22. reasons against dis- 
couragement, 25. the hurt that comes by it, ib 
it crosseth-our own principles, 28. m case or 
dl^onraffehient we should not think too much 



discouragement w 
uoon our corruptL.. 

how to cany himself in discouragements, 



noon our corruptions, 4g. a godly man knows 



INDEX. 283 
a. Page 
Disquietness, we may be disquieted for that which 
it is no sin to be disquieted for, 46. three notes 
of that which is not beiifting, 4?. when dis- 
quietude for sin exceeds measure, 48. some 
disquietments proper to the soul, besides those 
of the body, 55 
Distrust, the cause of all disquiet, 124 
Distempers fall, if arraigned before reason, 28 
Doubting, ariseth of the popish doctrine of works, 16 
Duty, more to be thought of than comfort, 20§ 
Duties, to be done with united forces, or spirits, 16 
E. 

Election, not known, no hindrance to our trust 
in God, 241 

Eloquence, that of Ambrose converted Austine, 98 

Enemies of the church, comfort against them, 204 
envy not their prosperity, 234 

Event of things, not to be too much fore-casted, 21 

Evil, in a holy Christian not to be too much look- 
ed upon, 21 . nor the evils of the times, ibr. 

Evils of sin, 44. these that are outward, how 
remedied, *95 

Excellencies of God, to be branched out for our 
several uses, 250 

Exercise of grace, preserves the soul, 125 

Experiments of God, treasured up in the heart, 
would much help faith, 2(}0 

Experiences, to be tailed to mind, 2(50. and com- 
municated toothers, 156 

Extremities, these whereirifo the godly are suffer- 
ed to fall, 155. why they are permitted, ib. f 
F. 

Failings, pardoned, where there is tio malicious 
intention, 210 

Faith, it must own God especially, 237, 154. and 
why it must do so, 238. it relies on a double 
principle, 104. why so requisite in Christians, 
I4g. it is still shaken by the devil and wicked 
ones, 9, 9. it must have a price set on it, 157. 
and how this may be, 157, 158. in us no seeds 
of faith, as of obedience, X66. its evidence 



286 INDEX. 

Page 

more constantly upholds the soul, than Ae evi- 
dence of sight, ; 262 
Fancy, to be quickly limited and restrained, 91, 

95. the proper use of it, . $7 

Favour of God, how to preserve the sense of it, 132 
Favours, former ones make the soul more sensible 

of contrary impressions, 2 
Friends, living ones, spiritual privileges by them, 111 
Friends departure, comfort in it, 202 

G. 

Galeaceus Caracciolus, how converted, 9* 
God his excellencies to be branched out, 250. he 
makes every man a governor over himself, 35. 
is still left a comfort to a good heart, when all 
others fail, 124. is the only fit object of trust, 
133. cannot be thought on comfortably out 01 
Christ, 134. he is some men's God specially, 
207 is the spring of all good, 237. when we 
prove this to our souls, 244. tokens of it, 247- 
comfort by it in extremities, 249. his presence 
sweeteneth all places aiid estates, 2. his glory . 
more to be regarded than our own good, 208. 
he is many salvations to his people, 229. a 
rock not to* be undermined, *• 
Grace, the exercise of it preserves the soul, 125 
Great ones, in most danger, 3. and why, 11 ? 
Greatness, that of sin may encourage us to go unto 

God, .„ 177 

Grief, when gathered to a head, will not be qui- 
eted at first, 3. itcasteth down, as joy liftetn 
up 26. how' to be mitigated, 108. sometimes 
faulty, and when, 109. even godly grief is to 
be bounded, 49. how it is to be ordered aright, 50 
Grief for sin, why we want it so much, 184, 185. 
> what we must do in the want of it, 248. it is 

not all at first, . 
Grief of contrition, and of compassion, -tj^ 
Growth in laying claim to God, 2 ** 
Guard, one to be kept over the soul, 80 
H. 

Hatred of sp, a good sign of grace, 188. some 
notes of it . 



1N£>E£. 2S/ 

Page 

^Heart, to be most watched and kept iu temper, 
22. not easily brought unto God, 128. though 
vile, yet it shall be fitted for God, for comfort, 
and glory , 1 93. when enlarged to praise God, 
is the chief deliverance, 21/ 

Heart of Christians, first cheered by God, then 
their countenance, 231 

Help, by others, necessary to discern our state, 
144. where no help is, yet trust in God, ib. 

Holiness of God no discouragement to true Chris- 
tians, in their many infirmities, 194 

Hope, the main support of a Christian, 132. the 
difference between it and faith, ibid, it quiets 
the soul, 139. most to be exercised in a hopeless 
state, 150. two grounds of it, 242 

Hour of mercy, not yet past, if yielded unto, 182 

Humility, humbled person comforted, 183. to 
humble us^ God needs not go without us to 
fetch forces, 56. and we need not go farther 
than ourselves, 7^ 
I. 

Idleness is the hour of temptation, 9^ 
Imagination and opinion, the cause of much dis- 
quiet, 88. how it hurteth us, 92. how sinful 
imaginations work upon the soul, 91. the re- 
medy and cure of this evil, 92. opportunities 
of helping it to be sought and taken, 98. how 
it may be made serviceable in spiritual things, 
99. not impossible to rule our imagination, 
105. misconceits about it, 106 
Immanuel, a name of nature and office, 23(5 
Impediments, should not discourage Christians, 195 
Impudency in wicked men, more than in devils, 257 
Inclinations of soul to the creature, should be at 

first subdued. 164 
Instinct, supernatural, leads the godly unto God, 207 
Interest in God, the ground of trusting in him, 235 
Joy, stilleth the soul, 213. joy and praise help 

each other. ib. 
Judgment and reason, well employed, will raise 
up a dejected spirit, 27 



INDEX, 

2m Page 
L. 

Large faith, and a large object, should be shaped 

together, . 
Latimer, his three prayers all granted, 81.4 
Law of God, extent and spirituality of it to be 
considered, 

Liberty, Christian, may not be unknown, nor yet 

Life, U an idle one a burden to itself, 18. the Chris- 
tian life a life of trouble, 55. a mixture of good 
and evil, 212. defects in the course of it from 
defects in trust, 167. « is a hid life, 354 

Loss, we lose ourselves most, by yielding most to ^ 
ourselves, 

Love, we should love such things as can return ^ 

Love^f God, to be looked at in every mercy, 

220. not to be questioned. . £*9 

Love-tokens from God, arguing he is ours, 247 
Luther, assured of a particular mercy in prayer, 214 
M. 

Massacre, that in France terrible afterwards to the ^ 

king, ... T7o 

Means, whether relied, on, or no, 
Men, godly, when best disposed, 58. they can 

cast restraint on themselves in distempers, 33. 

can make a good use of privacy, 
Mercy of God, must net be limited by man s sins, 

178 it is God's name, he pleads for it, 203. he 

hour of it not past, if yielded unto, 183. the 

least must be praised. 
Moon, in the change, nearest the sun j so we to 

God, in greatest dejection, 1 
Motions of sin, to be at first crushed, do 
Murder of the tongue, the^saints the objects of it, 10 

Nature of man, since the fall, subject to misery 

and sorrow, 5. proved, ibid, applied, « 
Nature, divine, the only counterpoison of sin »/ 
Nature's favourers, enemies of grace, 
Natural righteousness in Adam, wherein itconsists, 7» 
Natural sins in us, voluntary too, 



INDEX. 



28g 



O. Page 
.Objects of religion > or conversation., not to be 

substituted, i$q 
Offence against God, takes not away trust in him, 127 
Omission of duties, breeds trouble in the sou], 18 
Opinions of others, not to be too much heeded, 20, 02 
Opposition to sin, in the godly, is universal, 45 
Overjoying, in outward comforts, breeds trouble, }Q 
Outward things, no fit stays for the soul, 160, 77 

P. 

Passions, often conflict one with another, 40. not 
to be put to our troubles, 63. generally hid, till 
drawn out, and how this is, 63 
Peace, the epitome of all good, Qg 
Perseverance in grace warranted, and how, 1Q2 
Portion, God alone the portion of the godly, 257 
Power, that which we have oyer ourselves, is of 

God, J22 
Prayer, needful to keep ourselves in temper, 32. 
heard, 223. signs of it, 224. prayer and praise 
depend on each other. 20g s 225 

Praise, in trouble, more minded by the godly than 
their delivery, 208. special times to praise God, 
230, 211. no easy matter to praise him aright, 
218 conditions, 221. it should be real, 222! 
223. motives, 227. means of performing it, lb. 
Presence of God, vouchsafed to his people in their 

worst times, 21 i, what it doth for them, ib, 
Pride, must ever be taken down, though the spirit 

be dejected, 32. pride and passion mischievous, 33, 
Promises of God, what they are in divers respects, 
148. are not all reserved for heaven, but partly 
verified here on earth, 215 
Propiiety in God, chiefly to be laboured for, 238 
Providence of God, makes all good :o us, as him- 
self is good, 133. it is a special stay to our faith, 
135 what God is, he makes good by provi- 
dence, ib graces to be exercised in observing 
divine providence, 

Reality, real praises of God necessary, 138, 223* 
real things put out troublesome thoughts^ * 93 
o 



130 
7S 



230 



ago index. page 

Reason, there is none at all for sin, 20(5 
Reasons, these of a godly matt «e divine, 207 
Relatk ns, these in which we stand to God most 

be ail answered, 154. and how, ■ 
Relapses, pardonable and curable, 
Keoentance, begins in the love of God, 99 
ReEon/necessary in Christianity 219^1 

of it breeds much disquiet, .18. a nrm ana 

peremptory one to be assumed, 120. renew ,t, 

ibid, and that quickly, 
Righteousness, natural, Adam possessed of it, 

Salvations of God, plentiful and mani fold, g. 
to be thought upon in trouble, 2o0. .the golden 

Saun ''"an! W, instruments, still casting down the 

TX 7- ^ nn ' m s in divers humDU £ 

Sis'tians, 15. labours to discourage those 
Shorn God encourage*. 264. studies to un- 
i the heart from God, l6 7 - and to divide ^ 

hefcwiit God and m, , . . ^ 

SeU 1 what in the godly, mid what ,n others, .56 
Self-denial, requisite to praise God, j g 

Signs of a good state, J0? 
l; C „ k S- C rr™aWe amidst seeming reasons, ' 
90 The evil of it, 44. is the greatest trouble 
407 avo?< not trouble by it, 1Q8. the hrst 
Son" f it to be crushed, 6s sweet ,„ com- 
mitting, bitter in tne reckoning 75; 
continuance dangerous 178. its gre* ness y 

universal, 45. Htue. b l, ~* 1S q 
neceSsa ,-ytobe done, n that case, g| 

, *f ^tftt he'art, 23. not required 
f o r itseU- af sorrow, 184, ibid, no sorrow can 



index. 291 

Page 

make satisfaction, ibid, dangerous to desire it ■ 
overmuch, 186. popery in it, 167. when there 
is a comfortable degree of it for sin, 18S 
Soul, to be cited and pressed to give accounts, 31. 
its excellency, in reflecting on itself, and judg- 
ing all its issue, 35. debased by wicked men, 
37. should be set in order, 38. needs some- 
thing beside itself to uphold it, 56. outward 
things no fit support for it, lOo. when it is of 
a right temper, 50. though over-born awhile, 
gets free again, 131. if gracious, most sensible 
of the want of spiritual means, 3. knows when 
it is well with it, when ill 4. its most constant 
state in respect of sin, 2/6 
Superstition, the force of it, 01 
Symmetry of soul, most lovely, 6q 
T. 

Temptation, divine what it is, 7 

Thanks, then best when it tends to praise, 221. 
should be large, ib» 

Thankfulness, never without some taste of mercy, 
224. it is a special help in an afflicted condition, 
ibid, the excellent use of it, 228 

Thoughts, to be set in order every morning, 101. 
are not free, 10/. the danger of that opinion, 
104. the thoughts of praise should be precious 
to us, • 212 

Titles, empty ones of goodness bring but empty 
comfort at last, 257. our title in God to be main- 
tained against all cavils. 200, 201 

Trade, that of conversing with God, the richest 
in the world, 21 9 

Trouble, inward, a threefold miscarriage of it, 47 

Troubles, there is a sanctified use of all troubles 

to God's children, ] 25 

Trust, is the means to bring God and the soul 
together, 133. to settle it, know the mind as 
well as the nature of God, 148. it must answer 
the truth of God, 151 directions concerning it, 
ibid, whether we may trust to riches, friends, 
or helps, 158. a sin so to do, l6l. Must itself 
not to be relied on, 103. should follow God's 



■>q2 index. 

Page 

order of promising, 165. the trial of it, whether 
or not it be right, 17'^ 17% 

Trial of ourselves, exceeding necessary, 65 
U. 

Uniformity, necessary in the lives of Christians, 69 
Unthankfulness to God, most sinful, 220. detes- 
table to God and man, 225 
Unwonhiness, may not keep from God, 241 
V. 

Victory over ourselves, signs of it, 71. how it 
may be obtained, 74 
W. 

Waiting on God, a necessary duty, 215. what 
it is to wait, 21 6. we ought to be ever in a 
waiting condition, 260. waiting very difficult, 
2b'l. helps to wait on God, ib. 
Will of man, hath a sovereignty, ( 82 

Will of the godly, conformable to God's will, ^ 209 
Worldly good, hath some evil, and worldly evil 
hath some good, ^7 
Y. 

Youth, their pride to be curbed quickly, 32 



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